Fly High: Maple Version!
by HetaWriter - HetaReader
Summary: Matthew Williams recently starts his Pokemon journey with his trusty Cubchoo, Kumajirou. However, after meeting an Italian with a strange ability, he must not only prove himself by defeating the best trainers of the region, but also bring down the shifty criminal syndicate known as Shade to prevent them from stealing anymore Pokemon and doing horrible things to them. Pokemon AU.
1. The Journey Begins

_Greetings to you - HetaWriter/HetaReader here. This time, I present to you something that I was reluctant to show at first (much like HetaVoice), only this one is Hetalia mixed with Pokemon._

_That's right! I present to you Pokemon Hetalia: Maple Version! _

_This is obviously in a Pokemon AU where the characters of Hetalia are all included as well as various Pokemon characters (mainly game ones though). This was inspired by replaying some of my Pokemon games, on my DS and my Wii, particularly Pokemon Colosseum. My sister was reading some fanfics online while I was playing and I realize that nobody attempted to do a Pokemon/Hetalia story with Pokemon Colosseum or Pokemon XD aspects._

_That makes me sad though, because i think Pokemon Colosseum was a game that truly caused a step forward in the Pokemon world - it was much darker and serious in attitude with an older and quite badass protagonist with the default name **Wes **(my sister fangirled over him so much it wasn't funny) and also introduced the idea of 3D graphics in Pokemon games as seen in Pokemon Battle Revolution and PokePark._

_Pretty much, that's how this story was born. Be aware though that Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD aren't the only Pokemon games that drew inspiration for this story: all the other Pokemon games also drew inspiration for this. Simply, it's my old love mixed with my new one._

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_I hope you enjoy! _

* * *

_In the world which you are about to enter, you will embark on a grand adventure with you as the hero and to show that you are much more than what others initially thought of you._

_Speak to people and check things wherever you go, be it towns, roads, or caves. Gather information and hints from every source._

_New paths will open to you by helping people in need, overcoming challenges, and solving mysteries._

_At times, you will be challenged by others and attacked by wild creatures. Be brave and keep pushing on. Soon, you'll be able to spread your wings and fly high._

* * *

The sun steadily rose up in the sky, signalling a new day was dawning. In a small town, a blonde boy of age sixteen blinked sleepily as his eyes adjusted groggily around his surroundings. His purples eyes now awake, Matthew slowly sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes and letting loose a yawn. He peered out the window to see that the sky was a clear blue.

"Another day…" he murmured to himself. "Another day I'll just be invisible again. Wait…" he perked up. "Today's the day I can finally get my first Pokémon. Just like Al did a year ago." Picking his glasses from the bedside table, he placed them on their perch and said determinedly, "Well, I will be invisible no longer! I'll make a difference in my Pokémon journey! I'll be noticed by everyone else at last!"

"_Mathieu~!" _a voice called from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready, dear."

Matthew rubbed his head, "But first, breakfast."

He went down the stairs into the dining room and was greeted by a woman with dirty-blonde, hair that was tied into a bun and violet eyes. The woman was currently in the kitchen, cooking. She smiled at the boy, "_Bonjour,_ _me petite_. How was your sleep?"

Matthew nodded as he accepted a plate of pancakes. "I slept fine, Francine." However, the boy couldn't help the turning in his stomach. "But…I feel so nervous for today…"

"Today?" Francine arched an eyebrow at her son, then her eyes shone in recognition as she understood why, "Ah~! Right. All boys leave home someday." She nodded, "_Oui_…just like your cousin Francis and brother Alfred." She walked over and placed a bottle of maple syrup close to her son, "I recall that both of them went to Professor Katyusha of Vtoroĭ Town to start their journey. Why not start there, first? I'm sure you and Kumajirou could use the fresh air."

Matthew nodded after dabbing his lips with a napkin. "_Oui_, mama," he smiled and patted at a normal Poké ball on his belt. "Kumajirou and I will be on our way to Vtoroĭ Town now. _Au revoir_."

Francine smiled as her son made his way out the door, "_Au revoir_, _Mathieu_~."

Outside, a gentle breeze billowed among the soft, green trees as Matthew breathed in the fresh air of his hometown. The sky was now a much clearer blue and the clouds were fluffy and white.

Tatserr Town was a peaceful little town where people either started or settled. Matthew had been there his entire life with his mother, half-brother and cousin. Being the youngest of the family, Matthew always dreamt what it was like to battle with trainers but never did so before – Kumajirou was only a Cubchoo, and he didn't want him to get hurt.

Now, Matthew was sixteen years old and, after seeing his brother and cousin leave to pursue their own Pokémon career, the boy was excited to make himself known.

Walking along a lovely path where there was no grass in sight, just tall trees, in a short time, Matthew made it to his destination.

'_It's a good thing that Vtoroĭ Town is just nearby Tatserr with no wild Pokémon able to jump out at you…' _he sighed in relief. He recalled when Alfred was on his way to get his first Pokémon – his brother had blindly rushed into a bunch of tall grass to find the Professor and had not only almost bumped into a wild Pokémon, was also told off.

Matthew gazed around the town, familiar with its surroundings. Since he had lived in Tatserr Town his whole life, he frequently made visits to Vtoroĭ Town for some occasional shopping with his mother. The blonde boy sauntered on and eventually came across a huge, white building with a large fence at the back, seemingly akin to a preserve.

He entered and inside, the walls were white and around, there lay all kinds of crazy gadgets that the blonde knew he would never be able to understand unless he took up research. On his way, he spoke to some of the people as he made his way to the back.

"I work in the laboratory as Professor Katyusha's aide," said an aide.

A researcher smiled warmly at Matthew, "Professor Katyusha may not look like much, but she's the authority on Pokémon, much like Professor Vargas of Bellonora City. Many Pokémon trainers hold her in high regard."

Matthew eventually reached the back where there was a machine that held three Poké balls. Also standing nearby was a dark skinned with brown eyes and her dark hair tied into twin pigtails with red ribbons. She was also wearing a blue summer dress and white shoes. She was gazing around, seemingly in thought when she heard Matthew greet her.

"What?" she gave a start then calmed down, realizing who spoke. "Oh, hi there, Mattie."

"Hello, Michelin," the blonde boy greeted back.

Michelin and Matthew knew each other since they were children. It all started when Matthew was being picked on by a bunch of kids and Alfred wasn't there to defend him (his American brother was grounded at the time). The girl had immediately run in and after the bullies disregarded her warnings, she beat them with a stick and chased them away. After that, she encouraged Matthew to be strong.

He always admired that about her.

"Professor Katyusha isn't here at the moment," finished Michelin.

"O-oh, really?" Matthew looked surprised. Seeing her nod, the blonde gave a sigh as he exited the laboratory. He rubbed his chin as he wondered, _'That's strange…where could she be, then?'_

Eventually, Matthew wandered around town in hopes of bumping into the female Professor when he finally reached the other end of the forest that lead to the Outskirt Stand.

The Outskirt Stand was a lone locomotive that had long since been a train. Now, it served as a diner and shop for any passers-by who had the misfortune to be beaten up by anything they encountered. Matthew had never been to the Outskirt Stand before, but he wondered what it was like there.

The blonde began to wonder if Professor Katyusha was in the forest. He then saw a little boy who looked really worried. He approached the child, who babbled.

"I just heard screaming coming from that direction!" he pointed at said direction. "I think someone's in trouble! I'd go in there and help, but I don't have any Pokémon with me…oh, I hope that they're okay!"

Matthew arched an eyebrow as he peered into the direction that the boy had pointed at. He gave a nod, "Just stay here, I'll check…" and with that, he made his way into the path where clumps of tall grass grew wilder and wilder.

A loud, shrill scream shattered the air and made Matthew jump.

"HELP MEEEEEEE!"

Matthew quickly rushed to the source of the screaming and after a loud bout of bouncing, saw a woman with large breasts, short platinum blonde hair and blue eyes being chased by a wild Poochyena. The dog Pokémon snarled as it chased her up a tree.

Seeing her in trouble, Matthew immediately whipped out his Poké ball and chucked it. Once the flashing disappeared, Kumajirou the Cubchoo gave a sneeze and looked around, tilting its head in confusion.

"Kuma, are you ready?" Matthew called. "This is the first battle we'll be in! Now, use Powder Snow!"

Kumajirou suddenly grew more attentive as he unleashed the said attack. Immediately, the wild Poochyena was pelted with white bullets of snow. It growled and rushed forward, tackling Kumajirou.

The Cubchoo gave a growl as Matthew commanded for a second Powder Snow. Kumajirou followed suit and pelted the wild Poochyena with more snow.

By repeating this process, the wild Poochyena eventually fainted, running away soon after, whimpering.

"Good work, Kuma!" Matthew praised. He then gazed up at the tree and called, "Professor Katyusha, are you alright?"

The busty professor slid down from her tree, tears of joy pouring down her face. She clasped her hands together, "Oh, thank you so much! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't came!" and with that, she pulled Matthew into a grateful embrace.

However, she was unaware that poor Matthew's face was getting smashed into her rather huge assets.

"I-it's okay…!" Matthew gasped, his face aflame. "B-but…I…I can't…breathe…!"

Professor Katyusha immediately released him after seeing that his face was starting to get blue. "Oh! I'm so sorry! But, what were you doing out here, anyway?"

"I went to look for you," explained Matthew as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Michelin and I were waiting in the laboratory, and you weren't there…"

"Oh!" Katyusha nodded. "I do apologize. Well, come with me! We must not keep her waiting then!"

Matthew then followed Professor Katyusha back into her laboratory where Michelin was still waiting, though she now looked notably annoyed.

"Professor!" Michelin exclaimed as she caught sight of the two. "Are you both alright? What took you so long?"

"Just a run-in with a wild Poochyena," Katyusha sighed, then clapped her hands. "Now! As you both obviously know, a trainer must be at the age of sixteen before they start their Pokémon journey." Both young trainers nodded and she continued, "Most come here to pick their first Pokémon and leave to start. However, some already have Pokémon and just need to pick their trainer cards from me in order to start. Now, Matvey, it is obvious you have a Pokémon with you…"

Matthew nodded, "Yes."

"So therefore, I'm afraid I cannot give you one of my own," she gestured to the three Poké balls in the machine.

Matthew nodded in understanding, "It's perfectly fine, Professor."

"Now, Michelin," Katyusha said. "There are three Pokémon here. The Pokémon are held inside these Poké balls. These three are for starting trainers such as yourselves and Matvey. Now, go on, choose!"

Michelin walked over to the table and looked at the three balls, feeling quite excited. She went through each and every one of them, activating the data logs, which showed a hologram projector of the Pokémon stored within each ball.

One called out in an electronic voice, _"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researches are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and are difficult to capture in the wild."_

Matthew himself understood what the information meant about the researchers – he couldn't distinguish whether the Bulbasaur was a plant or animal, either.

Another data log was activated, _"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. A flame burns on the tip of its tail from birth. It is said that a Charmander dies if its flame ever goes out."_

Matthew couldn't help but feel sad at the last bout of information regarding the fire Pokémon. He sure hoped this one would have a good trainer…

The final data log was activated, _"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. It draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful."_

As soon as that logger ended, Michelin rubbed her chin as she paced around the three Poké balls again, deep in thought.

Matthew and Katyusha watched her carefully, awaiting her decision. Finally, after several minutes or so, Michelin finally reached her hand out and picked up a Poké ball.

"I'll take this one!" she announced with a smile.

Katyusha clapped her hands, "You picked Charmander? How nice! This Pokémon is really a bundle of energy! I'm certain you'll be a good trainer for it."

"Thank you, Professor Katyusha," Michelin said, slightly embarrassed.

Professor Katyusha then walked up to another machine and began typing in various keys. Suddenly, a whirring sound was made and two cards were produced out of a slot at the back. The busty woman then handed out the cards to the pair. Matthew looked at the card and saw his details.

"Those are your trainer cards," said Professor Katyusha. "They authenticate you as a trainer. Now, when a wild Pokémon appears, you should be able to battle it. With your Pokémon by your side, you should be able to reach the next destination – which should be Strenfürchtige City!"

Matthew and Michelin nodded as the busty professor continued, "On your way there though, you'll see what appears to be a train. That's the Outskirt Stand. It's a rundown watering hole that is built from a train that lost motion long, _long _ago. Go there to stock up on supplies in between."

"Thank you very much, Professor Katyusha," Matthew said sincerely. "Well, Kuma and I will be on our way now."

However, just as he turned around and literally made one step forward, Michelin halted him.

"Hold it, Mattie!" called the brunette girl. "You're not just gonna leave now, are you?"

"Um…" Matthew scratched his head. "Yeah, actually…that's what I was supposed to do…"

Michelin pouted, "You're no fun! Come on! Let's check out our Pokémon!"

"H-huh?!"

"Come on, don't be shy! I'll take you on!"

And with that, before he could protest, Michelin immediately sent out the Charmander she just acquired. The orange lizard gave a loud cry as Matthew gulped, stuttering out, "K-Kuma! Go!"

As soon as the Cubchoo appeared after the flash, Professor Katyusha exclaimed, "Oh, for the love of…so pushy, as always. Matvey, have you ever had a trainer battle before?"

"N-No…" Matthew flushed. _'Not even with Kuma…'_ he thought to himself.

"A trainer battle is just like a normal battle with a wild Pokémon, only trainers pit their Pokémon against one another. The trainer that makes the other's Pokémon faint, wins. Just pretend that this is like the time with the Poochyena, only you're against Michelin as well. But rather than talking about it, you'll learn more from experience."

"Yeah!" agreed Michelin, encouraging Matthew to fight. "Try battling and see for yourself! Come at me!"

Matthew gulped as he nodded, finally yelling, "Kuma! Use Powder Snow!"

The Cubchoo obeyed, unleashing pellets of cold, white ice. Charmander was pelted, but it stood its ground, the cold ice sizzling on its skin.

Michelin called, "Use Scratch, Charmander!"

With sharpened claws, Charmander lunged forward and succeeded in scratching Kumajirou. The Cubchoo gave a cry as it was blown backwards, however, Kumajirou got up again, looking determined.

"Are you okay, Kuma?" Matthew asked in hurried concern. Hearing the growl from his Cubchoo, Matthew shouted, "Kuma, use Growl!"

The Cubchoo let loose a loud snarl to which Charmander only stared. Michelin then chose to take action, "Charmander, use Leer!"

Charmander complied by leering at Kumajirou. Mathew shouted again, "Use Powder Snow again, Kuma!"

"Scratch, Charmander!" shouted Michelin.

The two Pokémon rushed in on one another, but before Charmander could so much as brush its claws against Kumajirou, the Cubchoo unleashed a much stronger Powder Snow right in the Fire-Pokémon's face.

Charmander gave a shriek as Matthew called, "Kuma! Quickly, one last Powder Snow!"

Kumajirou complied and after that final onslaught of ice, Charmander was eventually taken down for the count.

Michelin's eyes widened, "WHAT?! _Unbelievable_!" she shook her head, dazed. "Wow…"

Professor Katyusha clapped her hands, "Oh! That was wonderful! Because of battles, your Pokémon will grow! Battle other trainers and make your Pokémon strong!"

Matthew smiled as he patted Kumajirou's head. "That was wonderful, Kumajirou," he complimented.

"Choo!" Kumajirou cried lightly.

"That was really impressive, Mattie," Michelin said with a bright beam.

Matthew blushed a bit, "T-thank you…y-you're really good, too…"

Michelin gave a laugh as she patted the blonde's shoulder, "Okay! I'll make my Pokémon battle to toughen it up! I'll see you later!" and with that, she left the laboratory.

Professor Katyusha nodded in approval and turned her attention to Matthew again, "Matvey, raise your Pokémon by making it battle. It has to for it to grow."

"Okay, I understand," Matthew said with a nod as he returned Kumajirou back into its Poké ball. "Thank you for the advice and for my card."

"It is nothing, Matvey! Now, why don't you run along home first so you can say goodbye to your mother?"

Matthew nodded, smiling, "I will. Goodbye, Professor Katyusha!"

When he finally came back home to Tatserr Town, Matthew entered his house and saw that his mother was now immersed in a romance novel. He smiled sadly at the warm, cosy atmosphere she and the house radiated.

"Mama, I'm home."

Francine smiled as she saw her son. She stood up and enveloped him in warm embrace, "Oh, _Mathieu_, there you are. What happened?"

After he explained everything that happened at Professor Katyusha's laboratory, Francine nodded as she watched her son start to pack some supplies for his journey.

Matthew could plainly see that her eyes were growing watery. "I see then. Well, I guess you are on your way to your Pokémon journey, no?" Francine said, trying to keep her voice level.

"_Oui_," Matthew said softly. "I am…"

"I will miss you so much," Francine said with a saddened smile. "My little boy is now a man! I will always cheer for you. But please, come home as well every so often and visit me."

"Of course, mama," Matthew smiled as he leaned in to give her one final hug before departing on his journey. He exited the door and waved goodbye to his mother as he looked back one last time.

Francine by now had a tear slip from her violet eye as she forced a bright smile on her face and returned the wave her son was giving him.

"_Adieu_, _me petite_!" the woman called encouragingly after her son as he left his home and comfort onto an adventure. "_Au revoir, me petite Mathieu_~ !"

* * *

_The first chapter comes to an end with Matthew leaving home. I always wondered what that would be like, since the characters of Pokemon are much younger than the age where a person leaves home. Obviously the parents would be heartbroken with that._

_That's right, I also changed the age requirement of when a trainer obtains a Pokemon from ten to sixteen. (Seriously, who the hell lets loose a kid with a thing that can cause massive destruction out loose?) Alfred and Matthew are indeed half-brothers, which explains why the mother doesn't talk so much about Alfred and fawns over Matthew a lot._

_Michelin is also Seychelles and the rival, but she's more like Brenday/May (can imagine Brendan/May theme song play whenever Michelin/Seychelles walks in now). By now, you lot would know by now that Matthew would take the role as Wes. Who's Rui then? For those who don't know what I'm talking about, i won't say anymore, but for those who_ do _know what I'm talking about, how about taking a guess as to who Rui is?_

_I would like to know your thoughts and opinions, guys. Have a nice day! :DDD_


	2. A Partner In The Sack

_A big thanks to cat-pancake-13 for the favourite and follow. Really big thanks to hetaliaforever123 for the fave, follow AND the review. Seriously, this awesome person was what caused me to put this online - you should go check out her Pokemon/Hetalia crossover story._

_This episode may make you all go wtf, but if you've played Pokemon Colosseum (I still recommend it), then it'd make a lot of sense._

_**hetaliaforever123:** Thanks for the compliment! I'm working on Chapter 4 of this piece actually, and though there aren't many who have seen this, I'm glad you read it.  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** If this is who I think it is, I guess I'll see you later at work. Ohoho...you'll find out who gets to be Rui. I couldn't help but laugh at your guess that it was Icey._

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Now, read on with the story..._

* * *

Matthew still felt dazed; unable to believe he had still left home.

'_I can't believe it!'_ he thought to himself, exhilarated. _'I'm finally on my Pokémon journey! Like Francis and Al!' _he couldn't help but give a sad smile to himself though as he continued. _'Though I had to leave mama behind…I'm sure she'll be just fine.'_

The blonde boy continued along his way, going past Vtoroĭ Town and now on his way to Strenfürchtige City. Matthew couldn't help but feel both excited and nervous – what kind of people would he meet? What kind of Pokémon? What kind of trainers?

What kind of battles will he be facing?

Eventually, Matthew could see what looked to be an old, black train after walking a great mile or so.

The Outskirt Stand.

Matthew then noticed that there was a green hover jeep and at its back was a rather large sack. The blonde thought nothing of it as he continued walking to the Outskirt Stand, but panicked when he saw that the sack was squirming like mad.

"Maple!" squeaked Matthew. He tried to get a closer look at the sack, "What…? What's with this sack? It's moving…"

There was the sound of a door being opened and Matthew saw two men exit the Outskirt Stand. One had spiky blond hair with red tips and wearing ripped jeans, sunglasses and a sleeveless shirt while the other had an odd cap, darker hair and stubble.

Matthew quickly moved away when he saw them approach the hover jeep with the strange sack.

"Fwaaah!" one belched. "We sure pigged out, eh? I _love _chowing down after a job! It adds to the flavor, I swear!"

The other one chuckled, "Hehehe yeah, and we bagged ourselves a great catch, too!"

"The young master'll be sure to fix us up good with big rewards, too," the first one snickered. "Hehehe…it doesn't get any better than this."

The odd pair entered their hover jeep and rode away, leaving Matthew in the dust.

The blonde pondered, "I wonder…just what _was _in that sack?"

He shrugged and entered the Outskirt Stand, where some people were dining at their seats. Someone even had a counter nearby. There was also a television blaring.

Matthew watched as the news jingle played.

"Authorities have made a stunning announcement," announced the newscaster. "Professor Romulus Vargas of Bellonora City, the grand scientist in discovering how Pokémon live, has been working on a machine that would work against the group known as _'Shade'_."

"_S-Shade_?!" Matthew gulped and gripped Poké ball containing Kumajirou tightly.

The newscaster continued, "Shade is a syndicate of people who abduct Pokémon from their trainers. This machine of Professor Vargas has been stolen from his laboratory and it is unknown just who exactly was behind this theft. Professor Vargas refuses to enclose just what the machine is and does. Let's hope that the individual who stole such a machine that would be used to counteract Shade's dastardly acts won't be used for criminal purposes."

As soon as the broadcast ended, Matthew licked his lips as he mumbled, "I wonder what that machine is, too." He then looked over and saw that the shopkeeper was beckoning him. Confused, Matthew made his way over.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You look familiar," the shopkeeper frowned. "Alfred?"

Matthew sighed in frustration; he was always mistaken for his half-brother, "No, I'm Matthew."

"Oh," the shopkeeper looked embarrassed. "Sorry about that. Well, you a traveler then, huh?"

This time, it was Matthew's turn to flush, "Y-yeah…"

The shopkeeper shrugged, "Eh, it doesn't matter anyway. I don't know where you might've come from, but relax, stick around a while."

Matthew nodded and looked around. He was able to occupy himself by buying a few supplies and even talked to some friendly people. Stomach filled from lunch, he eventually chose to leave.

"Yo! Wait! Wait up!"

Matthew stopped and turned around, seeing a man wearing jeans and some boots. The blonde stared at him in confusion, "Huh?"

"The name's Willie," said the stranger. "After I got a good look at you, well…I got this urge to battle you. It's like I'm compelled to."

"…_what_?"

"Any way I look at it," Willie continued, disregarding Matthew's uneasiness. "You look plain, but something about you tells me that you're no ordinary Joe."

"Um…thanks?" Matthew said, unsure as to whether this was a compliment or not.

"So, what do you say? Let's you and me have a quick battle!"

"Uh…" Matthew scratched his head. "Yes? I guess?"

Willie laughed, "Yeahah! That's the spirit! Alright, alright! Follow me _this _way!"

The man led Matthew to the front of the Outskirt Stand where the hover jeep with the squirming sack rested before. Now, with the vehicle gone, there was enough space for a battle.

Matthew was nervous; this was his second battle after all with a trainer. And with a stranger, too no less!

Willie then went into a stance, as if her were riding a bike, "Yeeeeeeah! I'm burning now! I'm on _fire_! It's full-throttle time! Vrum! Vroooooom! Let's roll!"

And with that, he tossed a Poké ball, which contained a Zigzagoon. The Racoon Pokémon gave a cry as it wiggled its nose and stared at its opponent.

Likewise, Matthew released Kumajirou who looked at the Zigzagoon with mild interest.

"Zigzagoon, use Tackle!" called Willie. "Drive on him like a bike in dust!"

"Zigzagoon!" the Racoon Pokémon complied as it rushed forward, tackling Kumajirou, who became more focused in the battle.

"Kuma! Powder Snow!" commanded Matthew. His Cubchoo complied and unleashed the bullets of white ice, which slapped at Willie's Zigzagoon.

"Tail Whip, Zigzagoon!"

"Powder Snow again! Go!"

"Yeah! Come on, Zigzagoon! Tackle it again! Go, go, go!"

"Not so fast! Kuma, use Powder Snow again! Come on!"

Encouraged by the eagerness and will to win by its trainer, Kumajirou unleashed a greater onslaught of ice at its opponent. Zigzagoon was blown back with a cry.

"Come on, Zigzagoon!" Willie called. "Get up! Come on! You still got enough fuel in you!"

Unfortunately for Willie, his Zigzagoon fainted on him. Willie slapped his forehead as he made his Zigzagoon return to its Poké ball. "Tch…wiped out," sighed the man. However, he grinned at Mathew. "That was some Icy Wind your Cubchoo used."

"Icy…Wind?" Matthew asked, surprised.

Willie nodded, "Yeah, that sure as well wasn't a Powder Snow that knocked out my Zigzagoon, that was for sure! Sweet that your Cubchoo learned a new move."

"Yeah…" Matthew couldn't help but smile, feeling quite excited; his Pokémon learnt a new move! "Yes, it is."

"But yeah, you're tough," continued Willie, nodding. "_Real _tough! Much tougher than you look. You did a real number on us."

Matthew blushed at the compliment, "R-really? Thank you…"

Willie snapped his fingers, "Hey, I know! Why not test your skills in Strenfürchtige City? It's out west from here." He pointed at said direction, "You'll find trainers who're _way _better than me there. You should go out there and get some battling in. Good luck, kid!"

"Okay," Matthew smiled as he continued on his way. "Thank you very much!"

"No probs, kid!"

And so, Matthew continued walking away from the Outskirt Stand, battling any wild Pidgey, Poochyena or Sentret that chose to leap out at him. During this time, he was able to have Kumajirou practice his newly learned technique.

Eventually, Matthew saw a city in the distance consisting of white alabaster walls and entered. He could only gaze around in admiration when he noticed that there was a raucous at the front of the town, right at the entrance.

Much to Matthew's shock, it was the two men who had the hover jeep with the squirming sack.

Right now, the two were trying to lug the said squirming sack inside the city with great difficulty.

"Those two…" Matthew said. "What's going on?" Carefully, he came closer to see and hear better on what's going on.

"Hey!" one of them shouted. "What are you doing? Get a grip, man!"

"Yeah, you say that, but this…" the other said, strained. "It won't stop squirming. Makes it tough to hold on."

"Okay, okay," the first one said in a hurried tone. "Settle down in there. Just be quiet for a little while longer…"

All of a sudden, much to Matthew's shock, the sack screamed out, "Mgflpmmmmmgg – bleh! What the hell?! Somebody let me out of this damn thing! You bastards!"

"W-what?" Matthew's eyes widened.

"Tch!" snorted the second man. "That tape didn't keep his yap shut!"

"Hey! Quit your shouting!" the first one snarled, but that was when he noticed Matthew.

'_Uh-oh_…' the blonde boy thought to himself.

"Drat!" the man grumbled. "Did that kid over there hear all of that?!"

Both men dropped the sack, which was still squirming around like crazy, and made their way towards Matthew. Understandably, the blonde boy was nervous.

"Since you overheard us, we don't have any choice," snapped the first man. "Blame it all on your own bad luck!" and with that, the man threw his Poké ball, which unleashed a Whismur from within.

Likewise, Matthew set loose Kumajirou, getting even more nervous; this man looked like he meant serious business, and the blonde boy didn't want to know what would happen if he lost this one.

"Whismur, use Pound!" commanded the man.

"Kuma, quickly dodge and use Powder Snow!" called Matthew.

The Cubchoo quickly ran to one direction before the Whismur could strike it. Kumajirou then let loose the Ice attack, striking the Whismur at once, though the Pokémon quickly recovered from the frozen attack.

"Whismur, use Uproar!"

All of a sudden, the Whismur let loose loud screeches, causing a huge raucous.

"Choo!" Kumajirou tried to cover its ears at the loud sound. Matthew also flinched at the ferocity of the screeching. Quickly, the blonde shouted, "Kuma quickly! Use Icy Wind!"

"Choo! Choo!" with that, the Cubchoo reared its little head back and unleashed the newly learned Ice technique from its mouth. A chilling wind burst forth and attacked the Whismur right in the face, freezing it and therefore knocking it out.

"What the hell?!" the man looked shocked. "Gaaah! You're way tougher than you look!" he returned his Whismur back into its ball and stared at Matthew. "You're no ordinary trainer, are you?"

Matthew took a step back as Kumajirou looked at its trainer in concern. The blonde boy was starting to feel threatened by the two men, but fortunately for him, an athlete and a lass entered the scene.

"What, what?! What's going on here?!" demanded the athlete.

"Eeeek!" the lass shrieked. "Robbers! They're robbers!"

"Y-you be quiet!" the man who didn't battle shouted. "We're no robbers! We're kidnappers! Get it? _Kidnappers_!"

The man who battled Matthew had his jaw dropped, "Wha…you dingbat! Don't shoot off your mouth!" he then turned his attention to Matthew. "Don't get your girly face all happy just on account of winning this one time. The next time we meet, I'll trash you, your Pokémon, and all!"

And with that, the two strange men fled, though Matthew couldn't help but feel that this was only the start of his problems. The athlete, the lass and Kumajirou all walked up to the squirming sack that was neglected.

"Choo?" Kumajirou poked the sack with its paw.

"Ch-Chigi…" the sack moaned.

"Oh, yuck!" squealed the lass. "It's moving!"

The athlete bent down on one knee and tried to open up the sack, "Gah! This is tied good and tight. Can you believe those people? What a horrible thing to do!"

Matthew walked over, noticing that the sack's mouth was firmly closed with a tightly knotted rope. He leaned over and tugged hard on the tightly knotted rope. The knot gradually loosened. Matthew undid the knot, keeping the sack's mouth closed.

The occupant inside the sack ripped it off of themselves, revealing a young man with dark brown hair, amber eyes, and a curl protruding from the right side of his head.

"_Che palle_!" the young man huffed in an Italian accent. "About time I'm saved!" he began glancing around in confusion. "Huh? Wait…where the hell _am _I?! Where did those two bastards take me?!"

"This is Strenfürchtige City," explained the lass. She smiled admiringly at Matthew, "This person saved you from those thugs."

"The way he battled those goons," the athlete whistled, impressed. "It was truly superb. I wish you could've seen it."

The young man arched an eyebrow, "Is that so? Well…" he nodded at Matthew. "_Grazie_…and…who are you?"

"Oh…I'm Matthew," responded the blonde boy.

"Okay…the name's Lovino," said the brunette man.

"Lovino, how did you end up in that sack, anyway?" questioned Matthew, genuinely interested.

"Uh…" Lovino ran a hand through his dark brown locks. "I was in Feral Town when those two bastards got me off guard…oh yeah, wait!" he gave a start. "Did those bastards…did they use a weird ass Pokémon by any chance?"

The athlete arched an eyebrow, "A weird-ass Pokémon? No, they looked normal to me. What do you exactly mean by that?"

The lass agreed, looking worried, "Yes, they looked fine. What's wrong?"

Lovino licked his lips, seemingly contemplating, but eventually shook his head, "Oh, no…no, that's fine, then…"

The lass placed her hands on her hips, "Well, it's obvious that something's bothering you. You should go see our Mayor for his advice. He's a strict man, but he's very wise. I'm sure he'll be able to help you somehow. The Mayor's house is near the statue in the square past here. Go up the stairs from the square, and it's on your left."

"The Mayor?" Lovino rubbed his chin. "Hmm…I guess he _might _know something…_grazie, bella_." He then turned to Matthew, "Thanks again, I'll be on my way now."

Matthew then called after him, feeling concerned at this point, "But what if…what if those guys come back for you?"

"I'll be more careful," responded Lovino bluntly. "Those bastards won't get me."

"B-but…" but before Matthew could continue, Lovino angrily interrupted.

"Look, don't worry, dammit! I'm fine on my own!"

"Why not have Matthew accompany you?" suggested the lass, worried for the brunette man as well. "I mean, after all, it was him who saved you from before. And I'd hate to see you get taken again! Please?" she batted her eyes and gave a pout.

Lovino flushed, rubbing the side of his head. "I seriously _can _take care of myself…" he murmured. "But if it worries you, _signorina_, fine, then." He turned his attention back to Matthew, "Matthew, believe it or not, I guess I don't have anyone else to turn to, so…can you escort me for a while?"

"Sure," responded Matthew. "It's no problem."

"Hmph," Lovino snorted. "I knew you'd say that. Well, I guess if you're with me, you have Pokémon and those bastards will just be asking for an ass-kicking. So, _grazie_; thanks for joining me for a while."

Little did the pair know that right at this very moment, they would both remain partners and embark on the greatest Pokémon journey ever witnessed.

* * *

_And there you have it! Now you know who Rui is. Since we're here, I'll explain only a little bit on who Rui is in the Pokemon games. She's the partner to Wes in Colosseum, pretty much. So yes, Mattie is no longer alone._

_Honestly, revealing to me your opinions and thoughts on this do make me feel better; even constructive criticism. Anyway, have a nice day, everybody! :DDD_


	3. Snag Machine

_Greetings, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing you a new chapter! Thanks this time go to **Lilypad the Fourth** for the follow. More thanks also go to **hetaliaforever123 **and **RippedSenDen**. This time, you guys get to find out just _what _exactly was taken from Professor Vargas' Laboratory and made it on broadcast._

_**hetaliaforever123:** Haha, I'm glad I was able to portray Lovino well - it's really fun to write his character actually. Thanks again for the encouragement!  
_

_**RippedSenDen: **Just go get an account anyway; you can favourite stuff! ;3 yes, I HAD to put Lovino as the role of Rui, I couldn't resist it and it somehow clicked in my mind that Mattie was Wes and Lovi was Rui. Hey dude, even if this story had only ONE person reviewing, faving or following, I'd still be happy. And that's another reason why you should get an account; so you can go thank that person for helping me gain the vital regions to post this online!  
_

_**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Canada, I choose you! [Wait, shouldn't it be China, aru? 0.o]_

* * *

As soon as that hubbub died down, Matthew and Lovino headed towards the Mayor's house as instructed by the lass. Along the way, they couldn't help but admire the beautiful sights set around them, though to Matthew's confusion, Lovino insisted that the city was _'Potato City'_, whatever that meant.

Approaching the Mayor's house, before they could enter, a man with white hair, crimson eyes and pale skin exited from it. He immediately noticed Matthew and Lovino.

"Huh? Hey! If it isn't Lovi-locks!" the albino man gave a grin that radiated an arrogant air. "How you doing?"

"What the fuck?!" Lovino bristled. "Don't call me that!"

"Kesesese!" the albino man cackled. "Hey, no need to be so edgy! It's cool to see you out here in my awesome hometown!" he then fixated his gaze onto Matthew. "Oh, who've we got here? A friend?"

Lovino snorted, arms crossed over his chest, "He's my escort…"

"Escort, huh?" the albino man smirked. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say…"

"S-shut up!" snapped Lovino, now red. "Chigi! Anyway, this is Matthew."

"Hi," Matthew said, feeling rather self-unconscious under the albino man's gaze. It was probably due to those red eyes…

"Matthew, huh?" the albino man smirked. "Nice to meet ya, Birdie."

This time, it was Matthew's turn to flush, "B-Birdie?!"

The albino man however just gave a laugh at the blonde boy's reaction, "Aw, you have a cute face when you blush. I'd guess you're a travelling trainer, am I right?"

Matthew gave a weak smile, "Y-Yes. I've just become a trainer, actually…"

Lovino stared at his companion in surprise, "Seriously? From what I've been hearing…you sound a lot more experienced!"

"Maybe Birdie here's just so naturally talented like the awesome me!" grinned the albino man. "You know…" he leaned closer to look at Matthew. "You look like someone I know…but I can't recall who it is, actually…"

"Seriously?" Matthew asked. "Are you sure you don't know who I remind you of?"

The albino man shrugged, "Well, I'm sure the awesome me will remember who it was eventually, but…I like what I see in your expression." He chuckled, "Kesesese…I have a feeling we'll bump into each other again somewhere. Birdie, Lovi-locks, see you later!"

And with that, he left while Lovino was visibly fuming. "Damn that bastard!" screeched the brunette. "Who the hell does he think he is?! Why I ought to-!"

"Can I ask?" Matthew cut in before Lovino could explode any further. "Who was he? Really?"

Lovino snorted, "That bastard is Gilbert Beilschmidt. He's the older brother to my stupid _fratellino'_ best friend. He's also a potato-loving bastard. That pretty much sums it up."

Matthew arched an eyebrow, "Um…okay."

"Come on!" huffed Lovino. "I don't wanna talk about that bastard anymore…forget about him; he's stupid."

"Right…"

The pair entered the Mayor's house to see the Mayor himself seated at a lovely, oak desk. The Mayor had long, blonde hair, green eyes, and when he noticed the both of them enter his abode, fixed his scowl on them. Both boys froze at the stern stare.

"Ch-Chigi…" Lovino whimpered slightly as Matthew gulped.

"Lovino Vargas…and a traveler," the Mayor said politely. "Welcome to Strenfürchtige City. I am Garen Beilschmidt the Mayor. Now, why have you come to see me?"

Lovino stepped forward, rubbing his arm and looking really embarrassed.

"U-um, yes," Matthew explained. "Lovino has something to ask you."

Garen arched an eyebrow, "I see. Well, what is on your mind, Lovino?"

Lovino fidgeted in his spot, "Uh…er…"

"What is it?" Garen asked, now retaining a stern tone in his voice. "I don't have all day, you know."

"Chigi! Fine!" Lovino shouted. "I saw it, damn it!"

This outburst surprised Garen, "Saw it? And what exactly _have _you seen, Lovino?"

"Well, uh…" Lovino rubbed his head, trying to find the right words to explain. "I saw a weird-ass Pokémon…no, that's not it…what I saw was a Pokémon that gave off some weird-ass purple black aura. It was like some kind of fighting machine! And that little bastard would even attack people!"

"W-wow…really?" Matthew was stunned after hearing Lovino's explanation; he never thought that could be even possible.

A Pokémon as a fighting machine? And emitting a purple-black aura?

Garen was just as shocked at Matthew. "W-what?" he spluttered. "Pokémon like a _fighting machine_? And it _attacks people_?" the man rubbed his chin, deep in thought towards Lovino's words. "Now, if that were true, that would not only be truly alarming, but an incredibly serious matter. However, it is a little hard to believe…"

"It's true!" insisted Lovino, now looking desperate. "Because I saw that Pokémon, these bastards kept me in a damn sack just several minutes ago after they freaking assaulted me!"

"That part is true," Matthew said, vouching for the brunette. "There are two more witnesses who could also vouch for Lovino, sir."

Lovino gave Matthew an astonished look as Garen considered the account again. "Hm…I see," murmured the man. "I understand. I won't let this matter slide lightly; it could have to do with Shade. I will order an investigation at once and alert Gilbert and Ludwig of any suspicious characters."

"Y-you seriously will?" Lovino asked in surprised. "Uh…_grazie _I guess…"

"Thank you, Mr. Beilschmidt," said Matthew gratefully.

Garen waved a hand dismissively, "_Nein_. There is no need for thanks. We mustn't allow ruffians to do as they wish. Especially ruffians that endanger people's lives. This sounds suspiciously like Shade work, but we can't be too sure; I'll ask that you both give me a little time on this matter. I promise that if I get some useful information, then I will contact you. Now, do any of you have a P*DA number?"

"Err…no, I don't have a P*DA," responded Lovino sheepishly. He glared at the two blondes who were staring at him, "What? What the hell are you both looking at?! Quit it! Chigi!"

Matthew pulled his red one out, "Don't worry, I have a P*DA."

"Lucky bastard," grumbled Lovino.

"And here is mine," Garen said as he calmly flipped out a silver one.

Matthew exchanged P*DA numbers with Garen.

"Yes," Garen nodded. "As soon as I hear of some valid and useful information, I will contact you at once. Oh, and another thing," he looked at Matthew. "You appear to be a trainer yourself. If so, I urge you to visit our city's pride and joy; our Pokémon stadium. It's a breathtakingly beautiful stadium befitting our city."

"Oh, okay!" Matthew smiled. "Thank you very much!"

"_Grazie_," said Lovino. He thought to himself, _'I guess he's not as bad as the other two…but he's still the guy who helped _produce _the damn potato bastards…'_

The two exited Garen's house and headed straight for the Strenfürchtige City Stadium, though Matthew was understandably nervous yet excited – this would be his first stadium match if he entered.

Was he ready? What kind of battles will he face?

Upon entering, there were polished white pillars of pale marble glowed, greatly contrasting the black marble floor. They approached the counter for registration, but…

"Welcome to Strenfürchtige Stadium," greeted the receptionist. "This is where we register trainers for challenges. However, the current challenge has already started. So, we are no longer accepting trainers for this challenge. Please, come back and enter the next challenge."

Matthew sighed; both disappointed and relieved, "It looks like we arrived a little too late."

"No shit," Lovino rolled his eyes.

The two then decided to leave the stadium and look around the city for a bit but as they left, were suddenly approached by men in white lab coats. They appeared to be Aides and they surrounded the pair, cutting off their way.

"Hey, Lovino! We've finally found you!" one called out. "You ungrateful little _bastardo_!"

"_Merda_!" swore Lovino, gritting his teeth.

"Wrecking your _nonno_ Professor Romulus'laboratory wasn't good enough for you?! So you decide to rip off the Snag Machine? You've got some nerve!"

"Damn it…" Lovino said, now taking a step back.

"Lovino, who are these people?" questioned Matthew. "Huh? Did he say, _'Professor Romulus'_? Wait, Vargas…Lovino…you're…" before he could continue with his analysis he was cut off by another of the Aides.

"That's right, sir!" spoke up the second Aide. "He's the eldest grandson to Professor Romulus Vargas! But unlike his younger brothers, he's completely useless."

At this point, Lovino snapped, "You shut the hell up, you bastard! Chigi!"

"No way!" Matthew's eyes boggled. "Is this true, Lovino?"

"What?! Hell no!" shrieked Lovino. "It's not true, damn it!" he grit his teeth, however.

"Oh!" Matthew pointed out. "You gritted your teeth, didn't you? Didn't you?! Then it _must _be true!" seeing Lovino sag under the pressure, the blonde boy finished, "That's a little shocking!"

"Hey, Lovino!" called the third and final Aide. "Come on, hand it over! Give back the Snag Machine you took from the laboratory!"

"Snag Machine? Lovino, do you really have something like that?" questioned Matthew. "What is it?"

"The Snag Machine is built for trainers," responded the second Aide. "When a trainer puts the Snag Machine on, their Poké balls are converted. Ordinary Poké balls are turned into Snag balls that can steal Pokémon from their trainers in battle. But of course, that is not our intention."

"Hey!" protested the first Aide, whose name was Savio. "That information is top secret! Professor Romulus would be enraged if he found out you blurted it out!"

"I get it, Lovino," Matthew said, eyes shining in understanding. "_That'_s why these guys are chasing after you…"

"Gah! This is getting us nowhere!" exclaimed Savio. "That Snag Machine is useless to you, Lovino! You're not a trainer! If you won't give it up willingly, we have no choice but to take it back by force!"

"Hold on!" protested Matthew, now standing between Lovino and the three Aides. "I don't know _why _Lovino took away the Snag Machine, but you can't just attack him! You said so yourself that he wasn't a trainer, so that's unfair to attack him!" he looked determined as he pulled out his Poké ball with Kumajirou inside. "He must have a good reason for taking the Snag machine. _I'll _take you on!"

Lovino was shocked by the blonde's outburst; he only knew him for several minutes or so, yet he was defending him? "M-Matthew…" the brunette man breathed.

"So Lovino has a partner in crime!" snorted Savio. "Fine! It doesn't matter! I will finish you!" he threw his Poké ball, releasing a Swadloon.

Matthew followed suit, releasing Kumajirou and determined not to lose. "Kuma! Use Fury Swipes!"

"Choo!" the Cubchoo rushed forward and ferociously scratched the Swadloon two times before backing away.

"Swadloon, respond with Tackle!" commanded Savio.

Swadloon burst forth and tackled Kumajirou right in the torso. The little Cubchoo gave a squeak as it was knocked backward. Matthew checked to see if his Pokémon was alright, but Savio took charge again, "Use Bug Bite, Swadloon!"

"Bug Bite?" Matthew looked confused; what attack was that? However, his question was answered when Swadloon shot forth and began biting and chewing on Kumajirou's head. The Cubchoo squeaked out in surprise and tried shaking the opponent away but to no avail. "Oh no!"

"Matthew!" Lovino called. "Calm down! Swadloon is weak against Ice-type attacks! Use an Ice Beam or something!"

"But Kuma doesn't know Ice…wait…" Matthew shouted. "Kuma! Icy Wind!"

Kumajirou grabbed the Swadloon on its head and unleashed the said attack, the cold breeze piercing Swadloon and knocking it backward.

"It's super effective!" Lovino smirked triumphantly as Swadloon fainted from the single Ice-type technique.

"No!" Savio shouted. "I'm not good enough?!" after he quickly returned his Swadloon, he snapped, "Blast you both! Don't think this is over yet! We will have that Snag machine back. Just you wait!"

And with that, the three Aide left. Lovino rubbed his head, still embarrassed from the whole account while Matthew looked calm and satisfied. He returned Kumajirou in its Poké ball and turned to Lovino.

"Well, what do you know, Lovino?" Matthew said casually. "So, you're the grandson of Romulus Vargas and _you're _the one who took away the machine that was on the broadcast."

"I-I…wait, what?!" Lovino's eyes bulged. "It's on _broadcast_?! CHIGIIIIIIII!"

Matthew chuckled, "It's okay!" he rested a hand on Lovino's shoulder, feeling the brunette tense under the touch, Matthew continued gently, "It doesn't matter to me who you are and _why _you took the Snag Machine; I'm sure it was for a good reason. And don't worry; I have your back, okay?"

Lovino was flustered, "R-really? You mean that? You're okay…that you're in all of this fucked up shit? Seriously?"

Matthew shrugged, "As I said before; you must have a good reason for doing this. I'm fine with it as long as we don't use this…Snag Machine for criminal purposes."

Lovino glared, "No was in hell would I do something so fucking low!"

This response only warranted a chuckle from Matthew, "See? You're not a bad person. But…can I see it? Please?"

Lovino contemplated, "Not now. But when we're in a safer place, I'll show it to you, okay?"

Matthew nodded, "Okay."

"You're one crazy-ass kid to be involved with someone like me and be fucking okay with it," snorted Lovino.

Matthew shook his head, "It doesn't matter; I don't mind at all – it's nice to go on an adventure. Besides, I thought up something after listening to those guys. Listen, Lovino; we should go shopping for some Poké balls."

"Sounds like a plan," Lovino nodded. "And I'm all for it! Let's go!"

The pair entered the Poké Mart and started searching around, looking through every aisle and stand in hopes of finding Poké balls anywhere. Much to their dismay, there were no Poké balls in sight.

"You're kidding me!" Lovino was frustrated. "A city with no _Poké balls_?! What the hell is this?!"

"Lovino, calm down," said Matthew. "Maybe if we asked around, we would know where to find some."

So forth, the pair began asking and talking to people for any idea on where to find said Poké balls. Eventually, they came across a guy who was casually browsing around shelves.

"No one sells Poké ball around these parts," said the casual guy. "That's common knowledge. The guy that runs the Outskirt Stand used to sell them before. But you have to keep that a secret?"

"Why do we have to keep it a secret?" questioned Matthew.

"Just because…"

"Whatever," Lovino snorted, pulling Matthew to the store's exit by the arm. "We're going to the Outskirt stand!"

Sure enough, the pair travelled to the run-down locomotive turned diner and approached the shopkeeper who was behind his counter as usual.

"Listen, pal," he said gruffly. "If you're intending to travel some more, you might want to stock up on supplies here."

"Hey, can I ask you something!" Lovino called. "Don't you sell any Poké balls in this joint?"

"Huh? Poké balls, you say? Where'd I put them now?" the shopkeeper then turned around, searching. "Oh yeah, here they are!" he then pulled out a box with empty Poké balls onto the counter. Matthew and Lovino boggled at the number of them. "A little dusty, I'm afraid," said the shopkeeper. "But otherwise perfectly usable. Here! Take these. I'll let you have them for free."

Matthew obtained five Poké balls, "Thank you so much!"

"_Grazie_," said Lovino.

"well, since I found them, I may just as well put them out with the rest of my merchandise," shrugged the shopkeeper. "If you need some more, well, how about buying them from me? Oh, yeah! One more thing! Where are you both from?"

"Why do you ask?" Lovino questioned, looking wary.

"I'm from Tatserr Town," responded Matthew, knowing that the subject would be rather touchy with his brunette companion.

"Close enough," the shopkeeper cleared his throat. "You know Professor Katyusha of Vtoroi Town, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Matthew nodded. "Of course!"

"Her order came in," explained the shopkeeper. "Can I get you to take it to her?"

"Um…okay," responded Matthew. And with that, he received Professor Katyusha's parcel from the shopkeeper. Lovino, who was now carrying the bag ever since he and Matthew had left Garen's house, placed the parcel a certain pocket.

"I guess we have to go see Professor Katyusha's laboratory first," said Matthew a bit sheepishly.

Lovino shrugged, "Che, I'm not that bothered. I heard that she's a gorgeous _signorina_. Plus, you wanted to see the Snag Machine, right?"

"Oh!" Matthew perked up and smiled. "Okay! Let's go!"

The pair resumed their travelling again, this time heading back to Vtoroi Town and to Professor Katyusha's Laboratory. Lovino marveled at all of the gadgets around him as Matthew searched around for the busty professor.

"Professor?" he called. "Professor Katyusha? Where are you?"

"Are you needing something?" a female voice spoke up, causing both Matthew and Lovino to jump.

They both turned around and saw a young lady enter the laboratory. She had dark blonde hair, dark blue eyes and wore a white bow in her hair. She was also wearing an elegant dark blue dress with black stockings and heels to match. She also had a scowl preset on her face.

"What do you both want?" she asked curtly.

Lovino recovered from the initial shock and gave a smile, "Well, hello there, _bella_. Have you seen Professor Katyusha around?"

"Sister?" the young lady looked bored. "She is out for a while, but she will return…eventually. What do you both need her for?"

"Well, we have this package that was meant for her," explained Matthew.

"I see…"

"Okay! I am done!" not much later, after hearing a loud bout of bouncing, Professor Katyusha entered her laboratory and noticed Matthew. She clapped her hands, beaming, "Oh, Matvey! How are you? How is Kuma?" she checked the Cubchoo after Matthew released it from its Poké ball for a while and smiled, "Well, Kuma seems to be growing more attached to you and getting stronger. You must be talented as a Pokémon trainer."

Matthew couldn't help but blush, "T-thank you. Do you think so? Well, there's something we need to give you."

And with that, Lovino took out the parcel from the bag and gave it to Matthew, who handed it over to Professor Katyusha.

"Ah! It's the custom made Poké ball!" said an overjoyed Katyusha. "I had it on order. Thank you so much!"

"Professor!" another female voice spoke up. This time, Michelin entered the laboratory with all eyes on her. "I almost forgot; what did you call me for?"

Professor Katyusha then snapped her fingers, "Oh, that is right! I have a request for the two for you." She then motioned to her desk, "On the desk there is my invention, the Pokédex! It automatically records data on Pokémon you've seen or caught. It's a high-tech encyclopedia! Matvey and Michelin, take these with you."

Matthew took hold of one of the Pokédex from Professor Katyusha's desk and stared at it in amazement. Lovino himself was quite intrigued by the little machine that the blonde had just acquired.

"You can't get detailed data on Pokémon by just seeing them," continued Professor Katyusha. "You must catch them to obtain complete data. You need to use Poké balls to obtain them! When a wild Pokémon appears, it's a fair game. Just throw the Poké ball at it and try to catch it! This won't always work, however – a healthy Pokémon can escape."

"It all comes down to luck, pretty much," Lovino said to Matthew.

"To make a complete guide on all the Pokémon in the world…" Professor Katyusha gave a dreamy sigh. "That was my dream! But, I'm not strong enough to go out there anymore; I can't get the job done. So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me. Get moving, you two. This is a great undertaking in Pokémon history!"

"Alright, Professor!" Michelin beamed with a hand over her heart. "Leave it to us!" she smiled at Matthew. "It's so cool that we both have a Pokédex, huh, Mattie? Well, I'm gonna try and catch more Pokémon than you!" she giggled. "Come on, it'll be fun! Like a contest! See you later!"

And with that, she left the laboratory, Matthew watching every step she took. It was at this point that Professor Katyusha noticed Lovino.

"Oh, hi there!" she greeted. "You're Lovino Vargas, aren't you? Romulus Vargas' eldest grandson?"

Lovino's face was slightly tinged red, but he smirked, "Yeah. _Ciao_, Professor Katyusha. It's a pleasure to meet you at last. You look much more beautiful in real life, _signora_."

To this, Professor Katyusha gave a rather girly giggle, getting highly embarrassed, "Oh, why thank you! That is so sweet."

The young lady with the bow rolled her eyes, "How disgusting…" and with that, she turned tail and left as well.

"Uh…" Matthew felt awkward.

Lovino flushed, "O-oh…did I do something-?"

Professor Katyusha shook her head with a sigh, "No, don't mind Natalya; she's just not in a good mood today. She wants to see her big brother – my little brother – but she's not allowed to because he's very busy right now." She then offered, "Now that you're both here, would you like some tea maybe?"

"Oh, sure!" Matthew nodded.

Lovino also agreed, "That would be _fantastico_, _signora_."

"Okay!" Professor Katyusha clasped her hands. "I will go and prepare some, you can both just wait here!"

She hurriedly left, causing a loud bout of bouncing as she exited the scene. It was at this moment that when she was fully gone, Lovino turned to Matthew. He then beckoned him over to a curtain nearby, which was covering a huge machine.

"Over there…" said Lovino quietly. "I'll show it to you over there."

"Okay," Matthew nodded, following him.

The both of them went behind the curtain and finally, Lovino pulled out a strange little cube made of silver steel from his trouser pocket.

Matthew eyed carefully, "Is that…really the Snag Machine?" he was disbelieving; could that thing really obtain Pokémon from other trainers?

Lovino smirked, "Not activated yet. Just put your ball throwing arm out, palm up."

Matthew followed his instruction, stretching his right arm out with the palm facing upward. Lovino placed the cube onto Matthew's palm and pressed a small indent on it. Much to Matthew's amazement, the cube started unwinding itself and began creeping up around Matthew's arm.

"W-whoa!" gasped Matthew in astonishment.

"Calm the hell down and let it finish," said Lovino.

Finally, the machine stopped at Matthew's shoulder, and the blonde was staring at the Snag Machine in awe. The now activated Snag Machine consisted of a shoulder pad like unit with a spiraling wire that was attached to a silver component that shielded his hand.

"Wow…" Matthew marveled. "This is so cool. So…_this _is the Snag Machine."

"Yeah," Lovino nodded. "Grandpa was working on that thing for ages, but he sucked at thinking of what to do with it. I think we should just keep it on your arm for now."

"Huh? Really?" asked Matthew. "You think so?"

"Look," Lovino clasped his hands together. "I'm not a trainer as mentioned before, and I'm sick of carrying this damn thing around and constantly checking if it's still with me. I say we keep it on your arm. At least for now."

"Would I have to snag?" Matthew looked unsure. "I don't know how to…"

"Don't worry, damn it," Lovino sighed, slightly annoyed. "When the time arrives, I'll run you through on how to snag!"

"O-okay then!" Matthew flashed a smile, feeling slightly more confident, but inside, he was wondering, _'I have no problem with wearing the Snag Machine; it feels comfortable actually, but I wonder…what will happen now that Lovino and I are staying together?'_

"Here it is!" Professor Katyusha beamed as she entered with a tray of hot tea and some sweet cakes. "Here's the tea and some refreshments! Oh, Matvey!" she glanced closely at the blonde. "You look different somehow…I wonder how?"

"Uh…" Matthew wasn't sure whether the woman was playing around with him or not.

"Oh, well!" Professor Katyusha shrugged. "I'll figure it out someday!"

Lovino stared at the busty woman incredulously, "What the hell?"

"Now, how about we all enjoy?" Professor Katyusha set the tea and cake down and started having a pleasant conversation. Right now, they were all discussing about Matthew and his Pokémon journey so far.

"So! How did you both meet?" questioned Professor Katyusha.

"Um…" Matthew didn't know how to respond.

"It was by chance," Lovino quickly cut in. "But basically, he saved my ass back and now, we're travelling together."

"That's nice!" beamed Professor Katyusha. "It's always good to have someone travel with you; just in case something bad happens and your Pokémon are tired. I should know. Anyway, Matvey, how many badges have you obtained yet?"

To this, Matthew flushed, "Uh…I haven't got any yet…I'm sorry…"

"Seriously?" Lovino stared at his younger companion in shock. "You have no badges at all?" he placed his cup down as he stared at Matthew, _'And yet he beat those bastards _and _one of grandpa's Aides?'_

Professor Katyusha giggled, "No need to get embarrassed! What I think you _should _do is go to Bellonora City. That's a good place to start on your badge career! And I think Lovino would love to go there, too!"

Seeing Lovino grow silent, Matthew questioned, "Um…why do you say that, Professor?"

This time it was Professor Katyusha who looked surprised, "Oh? Matvey doesn't know? Well…how about we'll let him see? Right, dear?" she winked in Lovino's direction.

Lovino flushed as he sipped his tea, "R-right, _signora_…"

Once their tea and cakes were finished, Professor Katyusha gazed out of the window and saw that the sky was now very dark and the sun was replaced by the moon. "It's getting late; you are both welcome to rest here for the night," she offered again.

"Thank you very much, Professor," Matthew said gratefully. Lovino was silent during the whole thing, causing the blonde to worry about him.

That night, in the spare room, Matthew noticed that Lovino was gazing out the window and up at the night sky, a worried expression on his face. The blonde approached him.

"Hey, Lovino," Matthew said gently. "Are you okay?"

"…fine," grumbled Lovino, not facing him. "I'm just fine."

"You know…" continued Matthew. "If there's something worrying you, you can tell me about it."

"There's nothing wrong."

"Lovino…"

"Look, there's nothing wrong!" snapped Lovino. "Stop being so nosy, damn it!"

Matthew looked crestfallen, "I'm sorry. But…I was only trying to help…"

"Just go to sleep," Lovino said, his voice growing quieter. "Everything's fine."

The blonde did so, but couldn't help but feel worried for his older companion. The next morning, Matthew and Lovino were both silent. Lovino packed the bag as he slung it on his shoulder, ready to go.

After seeing the blonde, Lovino couldn't help but recall last night and how he snapped at him. He became slightly guilty upon peering at Matthew's face; he didn't mean to snap, and it wasn't right for him to do it, anyway. Matthew was young and he only wanted to help.

"Hey…" Lovino mumbled.

"Huh?" Matthew looked at Lovino curiously. "What is it, Lovino?"

"Sorry about last night…" grumbled Lovino.

"H-huh?" asked Matthew, unable to hear what the brunette had said.

"I said I'm sorry for last night!" said Lovino sharply and annoyed. "For snapping at you, damn it! Chigi!"

"Oh!" Matthew was slightly taken aback at the blunt apology, but shook his head, smiling slightly, "Oh no, it's okay!" seeing Lovino look away, the blonde thought to himself, _'I guess snapping's just normal Lovino speech.'_

"I see you're both ready to go," smiled Professor Katyusha upon seeing the pair come downstairs. "You both know where Bellonora City is?"

"No…" Matthew said softly, embarrassed.

"I do…" said Lovino tonelessly. "It's past Strenfürchtige City. There's a huge ass forest, we enter it and keep on going. Past that forest, it's Bellonora."

"Lovely!" Professor Katyusha beamed. "I know you can beat the first gym leader, Matvey! I know you can!"

"Yeah," Lovino agreed with a nod. "I think you can easily kick their ass on problem, too."

Matthew smiled softly at the support he was getting, "Thank you, you guys."

After saying goodbye to Professor Katyusha, Matthew and Lovino continued on their journey, going past the Outskirt Stand again and restocking on supplies. They then made their way back to Strenfürchtige City, but no sooner had they entered the city when a familiar lass noticed them.

"Oh! It's you two from before!" the lass ran up to them.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"_Bella_, please calm down and catch your breath," Lovino said steadily. Once the lass did so, Lovino cleared his throat, "Now, start from the beginning; what's up?"

What she said shocked both Matthew and Lovino, though:

"A whole lot of scary men came here! I think I even saw those two creeps who took off in the truck earlier!"

* * *

_And yes, I _had _to end this chapter on a cliff-hanger, albeit a really crappy one. Exactly what _will _happen to our two heroes this time? Tune in tomorrow when I post the next chapter (or if I'm in a really good mood, I'll post it later)._

_Anyway, as always, I would like to know your thoughts and opinions. Have a nice day! :DDD_


	4. Catch & Snag - Matthew and Mienfoo!

_Hello again - HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing yet another chapter to you!_

_Last time we were left off with a (crappy) cliffhanger where our heroes Matthew and Lovino were alerted that intruders have come into the city! What will happen next? What are the thugs here for? Why am I asking such rambling questions?_

_**hetaliaforever123:** Cliffhangers actually get me on edge - I get all hyped up and then I'm like, "NOOOOO!" anyway, you were right: Germania is the mayor of the city. Haha, I actually saw the old trailer for the first Transformers live action movie and that inspired me to type it out like that. I actually want a Snag Machine now...they're quite badass looking.  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** Mattie's gonna start snagging stuff not too far in the distant future, just be patient. And if you're talking about the you-know-what about Colosseum's Es Cade, I'll let you tune in and find out whether I'm using Germania for that role or not.  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

* * *

Matthew's eyes widened, "Seriously? Where…where are they now?"

"I don't know where they went off to," the lass shivered. "But it was so scary!"

"P-please, calm down!" urged Matthew. "We'll see what we can do."

"Of course!" scoffed Lovino. "How could we ignore a beautiful _signorina's _plea for help?"

After reassuring the lass that they would both be fine, Matthew and Lovino continued ahead towards the direction she claimed she saw the men from before. No sooner had they gone further, when they bumped into the athlete who helped out from before, too.

"Hey, you two!" the athlete called, running over to the pair.

"Oh, it's you again," Matthew gave a small smile. "Hello."

"Hello to you, too, but there's serious trouble!" panted the athlete. "Those thugs came back with help! I think they went off towards the academy!"

"Thanks for telling us!" and with that, Matthew and Lovino ran up to the said location. They looked around the academy, but there was nobody of suspicion there. Instead, they approached a rich boy who looked confused.

"What the hell's up with you?" inquired Lovino.

"I saw a bunch of scary-looking people going towards Mayor Garen's house," responded the rich boy, alarming both Matthew and Lovino. "But it won't matter if those guys do something bad, I guess. The Mayor was a brilliant trainer back then, you see."

Nevertheless, the pair ran towards Garen's house and this time; saw an old woman who looked shaken to the bone.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Matthew asked nervously.

"My goodness! It's terrible!" shrieked the old woman. "A big group of shaky-looking men marched into the Mayor's house!"

"Chigi!" cursed Lovino. "C'mon!"

"Yes," Matthew agreed. "Mr. Garen could be in trouble!"

When they entered Garen's house, the pair saw the two shady looking thugs that kidnapped Lovino before. There were also three other men wearing sleek suits with helmets and bandanas around their necks as well as a young looking boy. This boy had red hair, blue eyes and a scar on one cheek.

The man that Matthew had beaten before, Folly took notice of Lovino and Matthew and pointed at the blonde, "Young master Ace! It's…it's him! _He's _the one that took the Italian from us!"

The young looking boy turned his head and snorted, "Oh, you both are so frightfully pathetic! You mean to tell me you were bested by _these _losers?"

Lovino snapped, "Who the hell are you calling a loser, you little-?!"

Matthew gripped the brunette's arm to cut him off, "Lovino…"

"You, the girly looking one," Ace pointed at Matthew. "Did you say your name was Matthew or something? I don't like saying this, but we're not at liberty to keep your boyfriend at liberty."

"B-_boyfriend?!" _Matthew was horrified at the notion.

Lovino was equally mortified as the blonde was, "What the fuck?!"

"That Italian bastard can see things that ordinary people aren't supposed to see," Ace said, his voice suddenly cold. "That just won't do for your plans. No, it won't do at all. If you don't like pain, unless you're a total idiot, you can avoid it by keeping your nose out of places it shouldn't be!"

He then turned to Folly and the other man, whose name was Trudly, "Hey! You two!"

Folly and Trudly perked up, giving salute to the boy. "Yes! Yes, we will!" insisted Folly.

Ace nodded, "I shall be on my way now. I have to go to Feral Town. Do remember that I will be waiting for you to return with the Italian. Am I making myself clear? I _won't _accept failure from you two again."

"I am _not _some fucking pushover that you can just easily take, you little _figlio de puttana_!" raged Lovino, his face red. "It was a fluke you were able to get me back then, damn it!"

However by then, Ace left the Mayor's House along with the three Mystery Troopers, leaving Matthew and Lovino to deal with Folly and Trudly.

Folly took a step forward and glared head on at Matthew, "You, you, you! The last time, you caught me off guard! That's not gonna happen again! I'll take your boyfriend from you!"

Matthew gave a sigh of frustration as his eye twitched, "Why does everyone assume I'm gay?" nonetheless, he whipped out his Poké ball and let Kumajirou out.

Ace Peon Folly sent out his Whismur again, which gave a loud cry. "Whismur! Use Uproar!"

The opposing Pokémon commenced with the technique, causing a huge uproar that made Matthew flinch and Kumajirou to clamp its paws onto its ears. "Chigi!" shouted Lovino as he covered his own ears.

"Kuma, Icy Wind!" ordered Matthew. The Cubchoo reared back its head as it unleashed a great breeze coupled with specks of ice. "Now, finish it with Fury Swipes!"

"Choo, choo!" the Cubchoo dashed forward, its claws alight as it lashed out and swiped ferociously at the Whismur one…two…three…no, four…wait, _five_ times! Thus, Whismur fainted.

Folly grit his teeth, "Whismur, return!" he then took another Poké ball from his belt. "Lotad! Go!"

"Lotad?" Matthew looked confused as he whipped out his Pokédex.

"_Lotad the Leaf Weed Pokémon,"_ said the Pokédex in its mechanical voice. _"Its leaf grew too large for it to live on land. That is how it began to live floating in the water."_

"Okay…Kuma, use Icy Wind!" shouted Matthew.

His Cubchoo obeyed, rearing back its head again as it unleashed an onslaught of ice and wind on its opponent. The Lotad was blown back slightly, but wasn't taken down.

"Matthew!" Lovino called. "Lotad is both Grass _and _Water! Ice-type attacks won't be super effective on the bastard!"

"Oh…" Matthew licked his lips as he shook his head. "Well then…Kuma use Fury Swipes!"

"Lotad, Growl!" ordered Folly.

Kumajirou stopped in his tracks when a loud Growl was placed before it. However, the Cubchoo remained back in the game by rushing forward and fiercely scratching the Lotad with sharpened claws. The Lotad however went down really quickly with a second bout of Fury Swipes to the face.

"You're kidding me?!" Folly screamed. "I lost _again_?!"

"Nice one, Matthew," Lovino said, slightly impressed. Only just a little.

After returning his knocked out Lotad, the other man, Trudly, stood forward, causing Matthew and Lovino's guard to go back up.

"My turn now!" declared Trudly as he stared right at Matthew. "I'm not going to end up like Folly!" with that, he threw a Poké ball. Once the light cleared away, a Spinarak gave a loud cry as it reared up its spindly forelegs.

"Kuma, you can do it!" Matthew said, though he inwardly felt nervous – he saw two more Poké balls on Trudly's belt. He began to wonder if his Cubchoo could really take care of this on his own. "Kuma, use Icy Wind!"

The Cubchoo reached forward as Trudly yelled, "Spinarak, String Shot!"

Threads of web shot out from the Spinarak's mouth right at the Cubchoo. Kumajirou leapt to the side as it reared back its head and unleashed a powerful Icy Wind. The attack was so powerful that Spinarak was blown back and knocked out.

"Wow!" marveled Matthew. "That was amazing!"

"Critical hit!" shouted Lovino.

Trudly grit his teeth as he returned Spinarak. He then gripped another Poké ball and tossed it, "Duskull! I choose you!"

Matthew became intimidated at seeing the Ghost Pokémon. The Duskull was easily floating about while Lovino decided to give some advice, "Matthew, that thing's a Ghost type! Don't use Fury Swipes on it – it'll have no affect!"

Nodding and taking the Italian's advice to heart, Matthew then shouted, "Kuma, use Icy Wind!"

"Choo!" the Cubchoo reared back its head and unleashed another bout of a cold gale. Duskull was blown back, but calmly floated back to its spot.

"Duskull, use Night Shade!" ordered Trudly.

Duskull was immediately surrounded by a blue-black aura and it rushed forward right at Kumajirou. Upon impact, the Cubchoo gave a squeak as it was knocked back a little, but regained itself, now growling.

"Kuma! Icy Wind again! Give it everything you've got!" shouted Matthew.

Kumajirou complied, unleashing a huge Icy Wind that was much stronger than before. Because of the force, Duskull was blown back and eventually knocked out as well.

"What the-?!" Trudly was irritated, but after returning Duskull, he smirked, "I'd like to see you take care of _this_! Go!" he threw his Poké ball with great force.

Once the great flash subsided, Trudly's final Pokémon was revealed to be a Mienfoo in a very dangerous stance. Matthew knew that this Pokémon would be a great challenge.

Before the blonde could command an attack from Kumajirou however, Lovino suddenly perked up, his eyes widening. "Matthew!" he said. "That Pokémon!"

"Lovino, what's wrong?" Matthew questioned worriedly.

"Remember when I asked before if anyone's seen a weird-ass Pokémon?" seeing the Canadian nod, Lovino glared at the Mienfoo. "Those bastards grabbed me because I saw _that _Pokémon!"

"R-really?!" Matthew asked, alarmed as he stared at the Mienfoo – it looked completely normal in his opinion. "Well…w-what do you see?"

"I can see a purple and black aura coming from it," Lovino said, voice low. "They must have _done _something to that Pokémon!"

All of a sudden, the Mienfoo reared back its paw and chose to strike, but not at Matthew. Instead, it almost struck Matthew.

The blonde yelped as he backed away quickly, "W-whoa!"

"Careful, Matthew!" warned Lovino. "The little bastard isn't afraid to attack anyone! I know, Matthew…I hate to say this, but there's no other way; get that Pokémon back from those bastard! Come on! You're the only one who can! You can do this no fucking problem!"

"O-okay!" Matthew said, still a bit dazed from the attack, but now he knew what Lovino was talking about; there _did _seem something really off about the Mienfoo. "I'll try! What do I do?"

"Just take out a Poké ball and throw it like a normal ball!" instructed Lovino. "The Snag Machine will do the rest and turn the thing into a Snag Ball! It's no problem, really!"

Matthew licked his lips as he obtained one of the Poké balls from earlier into his hand. Immediately, he could feel the Snag Machine grow warm and travel up into his hand to the Poké ball. He then threw the Snag Ball right at the Mienfoo.

The ball bounced away a few times before rocking back and forth like crazy. It did this two more times until finally, it stopped.

Trudly gaped, now out of usable Pokémon, "Wh-what?! My Pokémon! Darn it, but you're good! You snagged my Pokémon!"

"Hey, what are you saying?" shouted Folly. "You're not supposed to be impressed! Oh man…" he groaned. "What are we supposed to do? We got flattened _again_. Ace's gonna chew us out!"

"What do we do?" echoed Trudly. "What _is _there to do? Run away!"

With that, both men fled out of Garen's house. Matthew didn't seem to notice though, as he picked up the Poké ball, he couldn't help the huge feeling of euphoria that ran through his veins.

He caught a Pokémon. Sure, it wasn't his, but he still caught a Pokémon! This was his first one ever!

"I…I did it…" he breathed, then shouted in joy. "I caught and snagged my first Pokémon! I really did it!"

Lovino smirked, "See? No problem! You snagged the little bastard from those fuckers! But, you know something?" when Matthew turned his attention to him, the Italian continued, "I bet there are others out there just like this one."

Matthew nodded, "Yes, I think you're right. Let's get them back from the bad guys!"

Lovino gave a small chuckle, "Sounds like a plan. But don't forget you also have your badge crap to do."

Matthew gasped, "O-oh yeah! I was so hyped up about catching and snagging the poor Mienfoo that I almost forgot _why _I'm out on a journey in the first place."

"Let's just go to Bellonora City for now," Lovino said in a low voice. "It's near Feral Town anyway, and that little bastard ace said something about it. Same time; you can go get your first badge, which I guarantee you'll get easily."

Matthew smiled at his partner, "Thanks, Lovino. Let's go!"

However, when the pair exited from Garen's house, they were shocked to see that all three exits/entrances to the city were blocked off by those strange Troopers. There was one wearing green at the right, one wearing red at the left, and finally, one wearing blue at the front.

"What the hell?" said Lovino.

"Oh no," said Matthew. "The paths are blocked off…"

"Guess we don't have a choice," grumbled Lovino. "Matthew! Prepare to kick more ass! Use that Mienfoo in battle and choose someone to beat up!"

Matthew nodded, feeling slightly excited yet nervous at the same time, "Okay!"

* * *

_And again another chapter ends. However, I would like to ask you this time dear readers - green, red or blue?_

_I actually want to know what your choice is because I can't choose which Trooper Matthew should face. Be aware that each Trooper actually has one Pokemon like Mienfoo - Lovino can see an aura emitted from them as well. Just leave your choice in a review._

_Thoughts and opinions guys? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	5. Red Trooper Rosso!

_Hey guys - it's HetaWriter/HetaReader here. A big thanks to **Pikachu Angel the 1st, Sydney in Wonderland **and **fallendestinyxx **for the faves, **Lilypad the Fourth**, **TruDivination**, **Nyui **and ** .and. .GOODBYE** for the follows!_

_**Nyui:** Haha, hope you're okay from your fan spasm. X3 *bows* thank you very much for reading! I'm glad you like it!  
_

_**hetaliaforever123: **Me, aru? Eheh, thanks for the kind words and encouragement!  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** How's your head? You drank a lot, I'll tell you now. Just continue reading and find out about Matthew's next snag. Also, you're right - Ace was Ladonia._

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Anyway, the colour of choice that was preferred was red, so here we go!_

* * *

After having a bit of a discussion, Matthew and Lovino went up to the Mystery Trooper wearing red due to him being closer on their path. They went to the exit where the red Mystery Trooper was standing.

The Mystery Trooper glared at them, "Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not about to let you pass."

"Well you sir, are a bastard," grumbled Lovino.

"Or do you have this idea that you can take me on?" challenged the Mystery Trooper.

Matthew swallowed the lump in his throat after glancing back at Lovino. The blonde nodded, sounding more determined, "Yes! Yes I do!"

This only caused the Mystery Trooper to chuckle, "Wahaha! Who's gonna beat me? _You _are? Don't be crying out of regret later!" he pulled out a Poké ball from his belt. "The name's Rosso; don't forget it!" and with that, he chucked his Poké ball and unleashed a Grimer.

Matthew wrinkled his nose at the foul stench, but nonetheless unleashed Kumajirou. "Kuma! Use Icy Wind!"

"Choo!" exclaimed Kumajirou as it reared back its head and unleashed a chilling gale.

"Grimer, Acid Armour!" commanded Rosso. The Sludge Pokémon commenced with the attack, its slimy surface suddenly layered with acid. The Icy Wind connected, but the Grimer stood its ground.

"Kuma, use Fury Swipes!" ordered Matthew. Kuma commenced with dashing forward and finally lashing out at the Sludge Pokémon with its now sharpened claws. In no time flat, Grimer was knocked out with five slashes.

"Return!" Rosso seethed, but pulled out his last Pokémon. "Let's see you take care of _this_! Chimchar, you're up!"

Once the light disappeared, the Chimchar gave a loud cry, "Char! Chimchar!"

Lovino then perked up at the sight of the Fire-type Pokémon. He then called, "Matthew! That Pokémon's got a purple black aura!"

"Seriously?" Matthew's eyes boggled. He glimpsed at the Chimchar and exhaled, _'Two snags in one day? Well…here goes nothing!'_ he yelled, "Kuma! Use Fury Swipes!"

Kumajirou complied, rushing forward to slash at the Chimp Pokémon, but suddenly, the little Fire Pokémon leapt and dodged the attack with great agility. Matthew's eyes widened in shock while Lovino yelled, "Careful with this one, Matthew!"

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!" commanded Rosso.

"Oh crap…" Matthew breathed.

Chimchar immediately ran forward and began spinning like a ball while at the same time, its mouth was aflame, causing itself to ignite like a little fire ball. It rushed forward and struck Kumajirou hard. The poor Ice-type Pokémon began panting after it stood its ground from the harsh attack.

"No…" Matthew grit his teeth nervously. He glanced down at his belt and realized. He then lifted up Kumajirou's Poké ball and called, "Kuma! Return!" at once, the Ice-type Pokémon was brought to safety in its Poké ball, "Okay, here goes nothing! Mienfoo, I choose you!" and with that, Matthew chucked the Poké ball that held his first snagged Pokémon.

"Foo!" the Mienfoo punched its paws forward, a serious look glinting in its eye.

Lovino watched, both anxious yet excited – two Pokémon with strange auras fighting it out right now…

"Chimchar, use Shadow Rush!" ordered Rosso.

"Shadow Rush?" Matthew asked in confusion.

"What the hell is Shadow Rush?" Lovino questioned, also equally confused.

However, they were both answered when Chimchar suddenly dashed forward to tackle while exuding a shadowy aura. Once it connected, Mienfoo was blown back, but the little Pokémon stood its ground, looking rather angry.

"So that's what Shadow Rush looks like," breathed Lovino, stunned at seeing such a reckless technique. He then glanced at Matthew who looked rather frightened, and then at the Mienfoo that was newly caught. The Italian could see dark auras emitted from both the Mienfoo and the Chimchar.

'_Wait, both?'_

"Oi! Matthew!" called Lovino. Once he caught the Canadian boy's attention, the Italian continued, "I can see dark auras on _both _of them, yeah?"

"Um…yeah…" Matthew didn't know what the Italian was getting at. "W-why?"

"Maybe Mienfoo knows Shadow Rush, too!"

"Huh?" Matthew looked confused, but realization slowly sunk in as he stared down at the Mienfoo who was now still looking rather angry. "Hmm…okay! Mienfoo, Shadow Rush!"

Suddenly, Mienfoo stayed in its spot, possibly charging and after a little while, rushed forward in a rough tackle while exuding that same shadowy aura. The Chimchar gave a loud shriek as it was pushed back.

"Fuck yeah!" Lovino cheered. "I knew it! It worked! Come on, Matthew! Catch that little bastard!"

"Okay," Matthew licked his lips as he concentrated. He ordered Mienfoo to do a few more Shadow Rush techniques while Rosso also ordered Chimchar to commence with its own Shadow Rush.

It soon became evenly matched.

"Mienfoo, Shadow Rush one more time!" cried Matthew.

"Foo!" shrieked Mienfoo as it lashed out and struck Chimchar with the same technique. The Chimchar was knocked down, looking more tired.

'_Here's my chance!'_ Matthew whipped out a Poké ball and held it. The Snag Machine worked its charm and with that, the Canadian boy threw the Snag ball right at the Chimchar. The ball bounced away a couple of times and shook once…twice…three times…

Matthew rejoiced upon catching the Chimchar. He grabbed the Poké ball and gave a loud cheer as Lovino came forward, relieved that it was finally over, but glad that the Canadian boy had caught another strange Pokémon.

Rosso was speechless, "Y-you…you're tough! Trudly and Folly can't be blamed for losing!"

Once Mienfoo was returned to its Poké ball, the pair turned their attention to Rosso. "Okay now, talk you bastard!" ordered Lovino. "What the hell is with all the strange-ass Pokémon? What did you bastards even _do _to it?"

"That?" Rosso pointed at the Poké ball in Matthew's hand that now contained the newly caught Chimchar. "It's a Pokémon we turned into a fighting machine by artificially closing the door to its heart."

Lovino froze on the spot, stunned, "Y-you…you what…?"

Matthew was just as horrified. "No!" he cried. "You didn't! You artificially _closed _the door to that poor Pokémon's heart?!"

"Hmph," Rosso snorted. "Knowing that's not going to help you do anything!" and with that, before Matthew and Lovino could press him any further with questions, he ran away from the city.

"That's…that's horrible!" cried Matthew as his grip on the Chimchar's Poké ball tightened. "How could they even do this?"

"Hold on, Matthew," spoke up Lovino, surprised at finding himself calm despite the situation. Once the Canadian boy calmed down, the Italian continued, "Listen…when I was a kid, I heard about that from my grandpa. He said that if any Pokémon closes the door to its heart, it can be gradually reopened by battling together with it."

"R-really?" asked Matthew. "That's…that's good you know this."

"Yeah, well," Lovino grumbled. "Let's just go to Bellonora so you can win the damn badge already. To get there, we need to get past Dreisden Forest, which is just beyond this fucking potato city. Then we'll go to Feral Town and look into this shit further."

_**Pokétalia Maple Version**_

"So this is Dreisden Forest?" Matthew asked a little nervous – the trees were so tall that they covered the sky. "Which way do we go?"

"Let me check the fucking map," said Lovino as he squinted down at it. He snorted, "Uh…we go left!"

"Left?" Matthew looked incredulous, but decided not to question any further. "Okay then…"

No sooner had they gone left, when a buzzing was heard. The pair looked around and were horrified to see a whole swarm of…

"Beedrill!" shrieked Lovino. "Run!"

The both of them made a mad dash just as the swarm flew towards them. They had turned a few times around trees in hopes of losing the Beedrill, but were dismayed to find out that they were still following them.

"Matthew! Just send out a Pokémon and beat those bastards!" screamed Lovino. "Otherwise they won't leave us alone!"

"O-okay!" called Matthew as he picked up a random Poké ball from his belt. "G-go! Whoever you are!"

After the flash of light disappeared, Matthew saw Mienfoo in its harsh stance again. "Mienfoo, use Shadow Rush!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo rushed forward in a tackle, still emitting that shadowy aura. The Beedrill it hit flew away and collapsed, tuckered out, until another came and struck the little Fighting-type Pokémon hard. Mienfoo was brought back, but landed back on its feet, looking more angry.

"Mienfoo, use Shadow Rush again!" ordered Matthew.

"Foo!" Mienfoo suddenly gave a loud roar and rushed forward again, only this time, after hitting the Beedrill that attacked it earlier with Shadow Rush, it attacked more of the Beedrill with great ferocity, randomly punching and kicking them.

"W-what's the heck's going on?" cried Matthew. "Mienfoo, stop! Stop that! Lovino! What do I do?!"

"Hold on…" Lovino squinted as he peered closer at the little Fighting Pokémon and was astounded at what he saw. "Matthew, you won't believe this, but that Pokémon's aura's changed…"

"W-what?" Matthew looked at the Italian in disbelief. "Really? What aura is it emitting now?"

"It's red and black," responded Lovino. "I'm not sure, but I think Mienfoo's going through a great rush of emotions. Remember what that bastard Rosso said before? That they artificially closed the Pokémon's heart?" seeing Matthew nod, Lovino reasoned, "Maybe…the bastard's heart is trying to open, but it's being forced shut, so the result…is this."

"Emotions reaching a fever pitch?" questioned Matthew. "What should I do?"

"I…I don't know," grumbled Lovino. "I really don't…"

"Mienfoo!" Matthew cried. "That's enough! Mienfoo! Mienfoo!"

All of a sudden, Matthew's loudest cry reached the Fighting-type Pokémon's ears. Mienfoo stopped with what it was doing, and with a shake of its head, relaxed from its stance. The Beedrill all fled, terrified from the tiny Fighting-type Pokémon.

"It looks like that worked," said Lovino. "Calling a Pokémon snaps it out of this weird…Hyper Mode, thing…" the Italian then took out a little book and began writing in it. "That's actually quite interesting…"

"What do you have there?" Matthew asked as he carefully came over to see if Mienfoo was alright.

"It's a little Research Journal I decided to write up," responded Lovino tonelessly, still scribbling stuff down. "I want to be a researcher like grandpa, so I decided to keep one with me and begin writing any interesting stuff I've discovered. This is one of them…"

"I see," Matthew nodded as he knelt down to look at eye-level with Mienfoo. "Are you alright, Mienfoo?"

"Foo…" Mienfoo nodded, reaching a paw out and patting the Canadian boy's arm. Matthew was surprised at seeing the Pokémon give a gesture like that. Suddenly, Mienfoo threw its arms out, paws glowing white. It began striking hard.

"Whoa!" said Matthew. "What was that?"

Lovino leaned close to look, "I think your Mienfoo just learned Brick Break…or something like that. Check your Pokédex."

Matthew flipped open his Pokédex and checked. _"Brick Break," _explained the electronic voice. _"The user attacks with toughened fists. This attack can also break away any barrier such as Light Screen and Reflect." _The Canadian boy smiled as he returned Mienfoo back into its Poké ball, "That's really cool."

He then gave a nod to Lovino as they continued onward to Bellonora City.

_**Pokétalia Maple Version!**_

After wandering around for about an hour or two, the pair finally made it to Bellonora City. The place was just as Italian as Lovino – consisting of Renaissance style buildings and the air wafting of lovely smells. The sound of an accordion also danced smoothly in the air.

"This is your hometown, Lovino?" Matthew smiled. "It's really beautiful."

"_Grazie_…" said Lovino, looking slightly anxious. "Look!" he pointed at a huge, beige building also built in Renaissance style. "The Gym is over there! I'll be back in time to wait for you outside."

"Huh?" Matthew glanced at the Italian in confusion. "Why? Where are you going, Lovino?"

"I'm gonna rest at the Pokémon Centre, first," explained Lovino. "Then I'm gonna ask around about those shady-ass bastards from before. Don't worry, I'll be back. Good luck with your match against the leader. Then again, you don't really need it…"

And with that, Lovino took out a pair of sunglasses and a cap from the bag, chucked the bag at Matthew, and left after putting both articles of clothing on, careful with his curl as he tucked it into his cap.

"Thanks! I'll see you later!" called Matthew. _'I wonder…who is the Gym Leader? Lovino must know them, otherwise he wouldn't be acting so strangely. Then again, this _is _his hometown; so I'm sure that someone will notice him. Maybe he's hiding somewhere for the time being. I wonder if his grandfather is here, too.'_

Matthew walked towards the Gym, knots twisting around in his stomach. He stopped as he saw a sign and read it aloud, "Bellonora City Pokémon Gym. Leader, Feliciano. The Cute and Sweet Pasta Lover!" Matthew arched an eyebrow at the last sentence, but shrugged; the place was Italian after all.

The Canadian boy entered the gym, but was immediately stopped by a lass.

"Oh, a challenger?" the lass apologized. "I'm sorry, but Feli isn't in the gym at the moment."

"Huh? Oh, then…where is he?" questioned Matthew.

"He was shouting that he needed to try the new Alfredo and fettuccini combination at his favourite restaurant, the Vivace Café," explained the lass with a giggle. "You can catch him there and he'll hopefully accept your challenge."

"Thank you very much," said Matthew gratefully. He left the gym, and began to wonder where the Vivace Café even was. As he walked on, he found himself at the Pokémon Centre and saw Lovino inside through the clear windows, just asking around in rapid Italian.

Lovino turned around when he saw Matthew enter. "Oh, it's you, Matthew…what the hell do you want?" questioned Lovino. He realized that he sounded harsh, and felt a little bad, but didn't say anything else.

Matthew inquired, "I was wondering, do you know where the Vivace Café is?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, I entered the gym and it turned out that the Gym Leader apparently went there to try some pasta special or something…"

"Fucking hell…" Lovino slapped his forehead. "Well, I know where it is; I'll lead you there, the you're on your own, okay?"

"Sure thing."

And so, Lovino led Matthew around until the pair reached a lovely looking Italian restaurant where it seemed to be full. A mouth-watering smell was wavering around in the air, and it made Matthew's mouth water slightly.

Lovino remained silent as Matthew sighed, "It smells so good."

"_Si_…well, I have to go now," said Lovino. "_Ciao_!" and with that, he was on his way again, back to the Pokémon Centre.

"Huh? Well, I guess he _did _say he wanted to look around for information," reasoned Matthew. "I wonder how he and the Gym Leader are related, though…"

The Canadian boy entered the Vivace Café and at once, saw a young man at the counter with a curl protruding from his head. The blonde's violet eyes widened, "Lovino?"

He came closer and took a seat next to the Italian, but upon closer inspection, saw that it wasn't Lovino at all. The Canadian boy felt stupid as he took a closer look – now that he was closer, this Italian looked nothing at all like Lovino.

This man had a different hair and eye colour as well as skin tone. Plus, the curl was sticking out from the left rather than the right.

"We have a special quiz campaign!" announced the well-fed chef. "Answer five questions correctly in a row to win a free meal of our Alfredo and fettuccini special!"

"Hmm…" hearing and feeling his stomach demand food, Matthew chuckled, "Why not? This sounds interesting." He rung the bell, "I'd like to try, please."

"Sure, _signor_!" laughed the chef, though he was scared that he just noticed that the chair next to the Italian with the curl was empty. "Now, here it goes - can you check the Town Map with your P*DA?" asked the chef.

Matthew shook his head, "No."

"You are correct! Here's the second question – Nidorina can only be female," said the chef. "_Si_?"

Matthew this time nodded his head, "Yes."

"You are correct again! Now, the third question – there is nothing between Vtoroi Town and Strenfürchtige City. _Si_?"

Matthew licked his lips as he pondered. He then shook his head, "No – there's the Outskirt Stand."

"_Si_, you are correct again! Now, here's the next question – it is impossible to use a TM on Magikarp. _Si_?"

Matthew rubbed his chin as he began to think again, his face scrunched up in thought. Is that really the right answer? Unsure, Matthew shrugged and finally responded, "Yes?"

"Wow!" the chef marveled. "I have only one more question to go! Now, here it is – Professor Katyusha has two other siblings and the brother is the youngest. _Si_?"

"Oh…" Matthew tried wracking his brains; Professor Katyusha had said something about her two other siblings before. That was when Lovino first showed him the Snag machine. Now, if only he could remember what she had said…

"_**No, don't mind Natalya; she's just not in a good mood today. She wants to see her big brother – my little brother – but she's not allowed to because he's very busy right now."**_

Matthew perked up, "No! Her sister is the youngest!"

"_Fantastico_!" exclaimed the chef. "You got it all right! Please, feel relaxed as we prepare your meal! We guarantee it will be a lovely treat!"

"Thank you," said Matthew shyly.

As the chef went away to prepare Matthew's reward, the Italian with the curl turned to Matthew, looking happy, "Ve~! You did it!" he cheered. "I thought the fourth question was no! You are very lucky; the pasta here is _delicioso_! The Alfredo and fettuccini special…" he gave a dreamy sigh.

"Your meal is ready!"

All of a sudden, the pasta was served right in front of Matthew. The Canadian boy was shocked to see two huge plates of pasta before him. "Whoa! That's too much pasta!" he exclaimed. "I can't finish it by myself!" right beside him, Matthew noticed that the Italian was drooling now. "Hey, would you…would you like to help me eat these?"

"R-really?! Are you sure?" seeing Matthew nod, the Italian rejoiced. "VE~! _GRAZIE! _THANK YOU SO MUCH! PASTAAAAAAA~!"

Soon, the two ate and in no time, they were able to finish both plates. Matthew sighed in content, absolutely stuffed, but happy from the great meal. The young Italian man with him was very happy and satisfied, too.

"That was really amazing," said Matthew.

"_Si_! _Si_! Pasta is very _delicioso_, no?" the Italian man smiled, then looked at his watch. He leapt up, shocking Matthew, "Ve~! It's time to go back to the gym! I hope I see you again! _Ciao_~!"

And with that, he rushed out of the Café as Matthew scratched his head. He then piled the plates so the waiters and waitresses wouldn't have so much trouble and went on his way to the gym, hoping that the Gym Leader was back. He was relieved to enter and the gym seemed to be up and running.

However, as he entered to the back where there was a sign that read, _"Challengers welcome!"_, Matthew's jaw dropped at what lay before him.

It was a great maze in the shape of a pasta bowl.

* * *

_Matthew's first gym challenge on the way! Hahaha, how will this one go?_

_By the way, Rosso was the red Trooper, the green and the blue ones won't come until WAY later on in the story, I'm talking about after Matthew completes his Pokemon journey later, so please don't complain about the Pokemon choice or anything (besides, I kinda like Chimchar)._

_Thoughts and opinions guys? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	6. First Gym Battle! Matthew VS Feliciano!

_Hey guys, it's HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing to you a new chapter! Big thanks go to **AliasAlliance** and **MVFBattleEevee **for the fave! Also big thanks go to **hetaliaforever123** and **RippedSenDen** for the reviews!_

_**hetaliaforever123:** Yup, Feli's the first leader! Just read on to see how Mattie will do in the battle! Thanks for the support! :3  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** Haha, nah I won't have Feli wave the white flag this time - if he did so any further, then he wouldn't be much of a gym leader now, would he?  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Maple-leaf!_

* * *

"A maze…in the shape of pasta?" questioned Matthew. "And there are trainers around…I better be careful." He patted his belt with Poké balls then froze, _'Wait…would it be okay if I used Mienfoo and Chimchar here? They're not exactly…normal. And they only know Shadow Rush. Wait…'_ he glanced at the Poké ball with Mienfoo in it, _'Mienfoo knows Brick Break…hopefully things will go smoothly…'_

And with that, Matthew pressed further, carefully navigating his way through the pasta-tubes and picking random ways to reach the Gym Leader. A few times, the Canadian boy had bumped into trainers, who consisted of beauties and lasses.

"Oh, you are a cute little trainer!" cooed a beauty when Matthew accidentally bumped into her. "I like you, but I won't hold back." However, after the battle, she was confused, "Let's see…oops, it's over?"

Another beauty had remarked, "Give it your best shot, or I'll take you down!" once she lost though, she cried, "No! Oh, Meowth, I'm so sorry!"

"You shouldn't let your guard down just because I don't look tough!" declared a lass. However, after battle, she grumbled, "Gosh…I thought you were weak…"

Another lass had spoke up, "I like cute Pokémon better than strong Pokémon. But I have strong _and _cute Pokémon!" however, she lost as well. She cried, "Oh no, no, no!"

Matthew just continued further, his Pokémon still in good condition. Chimchar wasn't used at all due to only knowing Shadow Rush; however Kumajirou and Mienfoo were let out. Mienfoo proved to be very useful as it was able to knock out the Normal-type Pokémon in only just one hit.

'_I'll definitely use Mienfoo against the Gym Leader,'_ Matthew thought to himself as he pressed on further. He escaped from the pasta tube and finally saw that he was at the top on a platform. He froze when he saw who the Gym Leader was.

It was that young Italian man he met in the Vivace Café.

"_Ciao_! I'm Feliciano!" greeted the Italian. "Wait! It's you! You're the nice guy who let me eat the Alfredo and fettuccini special!"

"Y-yeah, that's me," Matthew smiled weakly. "I'm Matthew…"

"Nice to meet you, _Mateo_," said Feliciano warmly. He sighed dreamily, "I _love _pasta! Don't you love pasta, too?"

"Yeah," agreed Matthew. "I like pasta, too."

"Ve~! My _nonno _is Romulus Vargas the researcher and he got me into Pokémon!"

Matthew's eyes widened at the statement, _'Professor Vargas? He _has _to be related to Lovino somehow!'_

"Pokémon are so _fantastico_!" exclaimed Feliciano. "Almost as _fantastico _as pasta, pizza and gelato! You want to battle with me, _Mateo_? Okay! But I'm not gonna lose, ve~!"

And with that, Matthew was challenged by Gym Leader Feliciano.

The pasta-loving man called, "Go, Smeargle!"

Upon seeing the Pokémon appear after the flash disappeared, Matthew immediately followed suit, throwing his own Poké ball, "Go, Mienfoo!"

"Foo! Mienfoo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon began striking its paws before it, looking rather pumped.

"Rules!" shouted the referee. "This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle with no time limit. Substitutions are only allowed for the challenger. Now, let the battle begin!"

Matthew licked his lips as he gazed at Mienfoo, _'Is it a good idea to use Shadow Rush here? I mean, what if Feliciano freaks out? Hmm…for now, I won't use it…' _"Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" ordered the Canadian boy.

Mienfoo reared backs its paws, which were now glowing white, and sped towards Smeargle.

"Sketch, Smeargle!" called Feliciano.

"Smeargle! Smear!" all of a sudden, just as Mienfoo's attack almost connected, Smeargle sidestepped and, with its brush-like tail, starting painting on Mienfoo.

"Huh?" Matthew was confused at the sight before him. "Sketch?" he looked at his Pokédex, _**"It enables the user to permanently learn the move last used by the target. Once used, Sketch disappears, replaced by that move."**_ The blonde's eyes widened, "Uh-oh!"

Mienfoo however, didn't look amused. Instead, it lashed out and gave an uppercut on Smeargle, prompting a loud cry from the Painter Pokémon.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break again!" ordered Matthew. Mienfoo reared backs its paws, ready to strike with said move.

"Smeargle, you use Brick Break, too!" called Feliciano. All of a sudden, Smeargle's own paws became white as it rushed forward, ready to strike as well.

Both attacks connected. Both Pokémon were forcefully trying to push the other back.

"Ve~ this is _magnifico_!" cheered Feliciano. "They're both so even!"

"Don't give up, Mienfoo!" urged Matthew.

At hearing the Italian's remark and its trainer's words of encouragement, Mienfoo gave a snarl, "Foo! Mien…foo!" and with that, pushed in an extra effort though its little body was understandably growing tired.

It then pushed further and finally, the move connected onto Smeargle, sending it flying back.

"Smeargle!" the Painter Pokémon yelped as it was blown back with a hurt jaw from where Mienfoo struck it.

"Ack!" cried Feliciano at seeing his Smeargle collapse. "My Pokémon!"

The referee looked over, inspecting, then called out, "Smeargle is unable to battle – Mienfoo is the winner!" he raised an arm in Matthew's direction.

Matthew sighed in relief. He called to the Martial Arts Pokémon, "Mienfoo, that was amazing! Good job!"

"Foo?" the Martial Arts Pokémon turned around, giving the Canadian boy a confused look. Seeing the blonde trainer smile though, looking absolutely happy, the Martial Arts Pokémon felt a bit of a…surge run through its veins, making it even more pumped. "Foo! Mienfoo!"

Feliciano bit his lip as he returned Smeargle. He sighed, "_Grazie_, Smeargle. You rest now." He then cried, "Ve~! Ve~! I have just one left? But…I'm not giving up, alright?" with that, he took the remaining Poké ball on his belt and threw it, "Miltank! I choose you!"

Once the flash of light disappeared, Matthew's eyes boggled at the Milk Cow Pokémon in fascination. "Wow, a Miltank in the flesh! Al's been yapping about how nice their milk is," the blonde then pulled out his Pokédex.

"_**Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. Its milk is packed with nutrition, making it the ultimate beverage for the sick or weary."**_

"I wanna be strong like Ludwig and Kiku!" remarked Feliciano. "Though I would wave a white flag by now, today marks the start of a new me! I will be stronger for them!"

"Who are Ludwig and Kiku?" wondered Matthew. He then shook his head and called, "Mienfoo, are you still able to fight?"

"Foo!" the Martial Arts Pokémon gripped its fist, looking determined.

Matthew laughed, "Okay! Let's go then! Mienfoo, use Brick Break!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo rushed forward, its paws glowing white all over again as it closed onto Miltank.

"Miltank, quickly use Stomp!" cried Feliciano.

The Milk Cow Pokémon then leapt up and not only dodged Mienfoo's Brick Break, but its trotters landed right on the Martial Arts Pokémon's shoulder.

"Foo!" Mienfoo snarled as it leapt back, cradling its shoulder.

"Miltank, use Stomp again!" shouted Feliciano. The Milk Cow Pokémon obeyed as it rushed forward, ready to stomp onto Mienfoo.

"Mienfoo, quickly use Brick Break!" cried Matthew, alarmed at how fast Miltank was.

"Foo…" Mienfoo suddenly raised its paws, which were glowing white again. It blocked off Miltank's Stomp, then finally, connected its move, striking the Milk Cow Pokémon in the face.

"_Povero me_!" squeaked Feliciano when he saw that Miltank looked ready to give way at any second. "Miltank use Milk Drink!"

"Milk Drink?" Matthew asked in confusion.

Suddenly, Miltank squeezed at one of its udders, prompting it to drink some splashes of milk. It then perked up and exclaimed, "Miltank!"

Matthew looked in horror at the Milk Cow Pokémon suddenly perk up, seemingly back to full health. "Damn…I gotta knock it out somehow…" the Canadian gazed down at Mienfoo who looked more pumped into fighting.

"Miltank, use Rollout!" called Feliciano.

Miltank began running a bit forward then with a slight leap, it curled into a ball and began rolling straight at Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokémon gave a squeak as it was blown back slightly, however it regained its stance.

"Mienfoo, quickly use Brick Break!" cried Matthew, wishing that the Martial Arts Pokémon would learn something new.

"Foo! Mienfoo!" Mienfoo rushed forward and attempted to use the attack, but was struck again by another Rollout commanded by Feliciano; only this one looked more powerful. Mienfoo looked really peeved.

'_Okay…'_ Matthew licked his lips as Feliciano yet again ordered another Rollout. _'Rollout gets stronger every successful time it's used, right? Wait…every…'_ he then stood motionless, not letting out a command.

Mienfoo stared at its trainer, an unsure look passing its face. However, it decided to remain motionless as well.

Feliciano thought he was going to win for a moment, but at the very last second, Matthew raised his head and called, "Mienfoo, dodge and use Brick Break!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo sidestepped to the back of the rolling Miltank and unleashed another Brick Break, this time connecting it, causing Miltank to roll out of control and in a heap.

"Ah! Miltank!" cried Feliciano. "Are you okay? Use Milk Drink quick!"

"No you don't!" exclaimed Matthew. "Mienfoo, quickly! Stop it with one last Brick Break!"

"Foo! Mienfoo!" Mienfoo then rushed forward and struck Miltank again, its paws connecting at the Milk Cow Pokémon's jaw before it could do anything else. Miltank was sent flying into another heap with a whimper.

"Miltank, no!" squealed Feliciano.

The referee came over to take a look and gazed down at Miltank. After a moment of inspection, he shook his head and called, "Miltank is unable to battle – Mienfoo is the winner! Matthew Williams of Tatserr Town is the winner of this Gym Challenge!"

Matthew stood frozen. He blinked as he stared out at the battlefield, "I…won?" realization eventually seeped into his mind and a big grin spread out across his face. "I won! I won my first ever Gym Battle! I can't believe it!" he then ran forward and knelt down to Mienfoo, "You were amazing, Mienfoo!"

"Foo?" the Martial Arts Pokémon stared at him, seemingly confused.

"I'm so proud of you!"

Hearing that statement seemed to make the little Martial Arts Pokémon all the more happier. It pumped a small fist.

Feliciano cried, "Waaaahh! I lost! But…" after returning Miltank into its Poké ball with a thank you, he beamed and walked up to Matthew, "It was really, really fun battling with you! Ve~ you're _really _strong! And you're really nice, too!"

Matthew blushed a little at the compliments, "Thanks…you're not bad yourself."

"Um…oh wait!" Feliciano began reaching into his pockets. "That's right! I'm supposed to be handing this out when I lose! Ve~! Here it is! It's the Simple Badge!"

Matthew accepted, receiving the Simple Badge from Feliciano. He grinned as he exclaimed, "My first badge! The Simple Badge!"

"Ve~ the Simple Badge makes your Pokémon's attack a bit stronger!" smiled Feliciano. "It also lets them use the HM move Cut outside of battle! You are a very strong and nice person! I hope we eat pasta again some time! Oh! Or maybe pizza or gelato!"

Matthew smiled, "Yeah, we should. I'll be looking forward to that sometime, Feliciano."

"Ve~!" and with that, the Italian gave the Canadian boy a hug. Said Canadian boy was embarrassed at first, but hugged back.

Matthew left the gym with a wave where outside, Lovino was already waiting for him.

"So, how'd you go?" questioned Lovino. "You go the badge, right?"

"Yes!" said Matthew proudly as he grinned and held it up.

Lovino smirked, "Told you that you'd be fine. Now come on! We're off to Feral Town now and…" he suddenly looked rather flustered. "There's…there's something I'd like to give you, too, bastard-"

Before he could finish his sentence however, Feliciano suddenly burst through the doors of his gym, panting like mad.

"Wait, wait!" panted Feliciano. "Ve~! _Mateo_, I almost forgot to give you something…! I…!" he suddenly stopped when he saw Lovino. Lovino froze as Feliciano's jaw dropped, "_Fratello_…? _Fratello_?! Is that you?!"

"Shit…!"

* * *

_And here the chapter draws to a close. Feli and Lovi meet up! Just what will happen? _

_Thoughts and opinions guys? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	7. Two Italian Brothers

_Hey guys, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing another chapter yet again. Last time, I left you guys at another cliffie where Lovi and Feli finally met up! What will happen next? Big thanks go to **AliasAlliance** and **RippedSenDen** for the reviews!_

_**AliasAlliance: **Here you go, next chapter! Unfortunately, as I had mentioned before and in other of my works, I won't be able to update from Monday to about the 9th November because I'm going overseas. I'mma gonna be really sad on that one, but I hope I can update as much as I can with this one. Thanks for reading! :D  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** Ohohoho, you'll find out who the Gym Leaders when the time comes [or would you like to tell me later? ;3]. Anyway, thanks for the support, as always._

_Yes, I'm going overseas, and for quite a while, too - roommate/best friend/Spain and I saved up for this and we were finally able to reach it. So, again I apologize for not updating in future - don't expect any updates from 8th October-10th November._

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_Ne, ne, mama~! Ne, ne papa~! PASTAAAAA!_

* * *

"Ve~! It really _is _you!" cried Feliciano. "Oh _fratello_! _Fratello_!" and with that, he sprung forward and leapt onto Lovino, ripping off the older Italian's cap and sunglasses in the process. "We were all so worried!" he babbled. "When _fratello_ Antonio and _sorella _Emma said they couldn't find you and _nonno _claims you stole something of his and-!"

"Feliciano shut up and get the hell off of me, dammit!" snapped Lovino as he pushed Feliciano off. He quickly put back on the two articles of clothing that provided as his disguise.

"VE~! Why are you so mean, _fratello_?!" cried Feliciano, actually close to tearing.

Lovino rubbed his temples, "Geez…don't cry. I'm sorry already! Now stop crying!"

At once, the younger Italian stopped, "Ve~! I can't wait to bring you home! Or do you want o to go back to Ocamor City? Everyone's there actually! They-!"

"Wait…everyone's at Ocamor City?" inquired Lovino. "Really? Even grandpa?"

"_Sí_! _Sí_!" Feliciano nodded. "_Nonno _is there! Everyone else is wondering if you'll go back! Antonio and Emma are so worried about you! Ve~ you _should _go back!"

"When the time arrives, I'll go back…" Lovino responded with some hesitation. "But not fucking now!" Before Matthew knew it, Lovino pulled him by his hood to make him stand closer by him. "We have important shit to do!" announced Lovino.

"And what is that?" asked Feliciano.

"It's none of your business!"

"Um…Lovino," spoke up Matthew timidly. "Maybe he can help us."

"I doubt that!" responded Lovino. "He gets lost in his own fucking gym!"

"_Fratello_, do I have to use my hug therapy on you?" inquired Feliciano as he stepped forward with his arms spread out.

"Hell no!" said Lovino sharply as he backed away. "Stay away from me!"

"Well, Feliciano; we heard that there are really shady people going in and out recently with strange Pokémon lurking around," explained Matthew. "Have you seen anything suspicious lately?"

"Um…" Feliciano pondered. "Nope! I haven't seen anything!"

"See? A waste of fucking time!" grumbled Lovino. "I actually _have _something that could help us!" looking at Matthew's and Feliciano's questioning looks, the older Italian snapped, "Most likely!"

"Oh! Oh! I need to give _Mateo _something, too!" exclaimed Feliciano as he reached in his pockets. "I forgot to give it to you inside the gym, but here! Take it!"

"Thank you, but what is it?" Matthew asked, staring at the disk that Feliciano gave him.

"It's a Technical Machine!" smiled Feliciano.

"Oh!" Matthew felt sheepish as he remembered that Francis used to have many TM's as well.

"This one is TM45!" continued Feliciano. "It's Attract! It makes full use of a Pokémon's charm! Makes them cuter! Really fits with an Italian, right _fratello_?" he winked at his older brother.

Lovino shrugged, "Well, _I _have something far more useful! Here, Mateo; think of it as a present for beating my _fratello's _ass in a Pokémon battle and getting your first badge." He also handed Matthew a disk, only this one was larger in size.

"Oh, wow! Isn't this a Hidden Machine, HM?" Matthew asked, eyes widening.

"Yes, it is," Lovino nodded, feeling smug.

"Where did you get this, Lovino?"

"Wasn't hard; massaged some sick bastard's back and he just gave it to me," replied Lovino. "Anyway, this HM has the move Cut, which slashes anything down in its path! Pretty cool, right?"

"Ve~! _Fratello_, you were always so shizzy!" smiled Feliciano.

"And unlike a TM, HM's don't break after one use!" added Lovino. "So you can use them over and over again!"

Matthew smiled, but then he it slightly faltered after a thought came into his head, "That's really great and all, but aren't HM moves harder to forget than TM moves, too?"

Lovino's face faltered in realization, "I forgot about that…chigi!"

"It doesn't matter!" Matthew spoke up quickly. "I still like it! It can definitely help us on our way to Feral Town!"

"Ve~! He's right, _fratello_!" piped up Feliciano. "There are a bunch of trees that are blocking the path there! Now you can cut them down easily!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Lovino said. "Let's go, _Mateo_."

"Wait, _fratello_!" cried Feliciano. "Could we at least…at least talk a bit? And have some gelato? It'll be like the old days, ve~!"

"Feli! This is serious shit!" said Lovino sharply. "_Mateo _and I have to-!"

"Actually, I don't mind," spoke up Matthew. "We can stay for a little bit, right Lovino?" he then thought to himself, _'He really needs to patch things up with his brother…'_

"What?!" shrieked Lovino. "But-! What about those Pokémon with their hearts closed-?!"

"I know, but…this is your brother," responded Matthew. "Come on; he seems to have missed you a lot—"

"_Sí_! _Sí_!" cried Feliciano. "I missed you so much, _fratello_! As much as _fratello_ Antonio!"

"Chigi!" yelled Lovino. "Fine! But if important shit happens in Feral Town, I'm gonna fucking choke the shit out of the _both _of you!"

And so it was, the three had gone into Bellonora Park. Matthew was awed by the beautiful fountain and the patches of daisies that were everywhere. He released all of his Pokémon and soon enough, some children eagerly came over. Matthew was a little nervous at first because Mienfoo and Chimchar weren't exactly normal Pokémon, but relaxed when he saw them play around with the children. Chimchar in particular looked really happy.

During this time, Feliciano and Lovino were sitting next to each other on a bench as they watched Matthew and his Pokémon play with the children.

"Ve~ it's nice to have a friend, right _fratello_?" sighed Feliciano.

"Hmph…a friend," snorted Lovino. "Whatever…" however, he began to silently ponder as he continued watching after Matthew.

"_Sí_! _Sí_!" Feliciano nodded vigorously. "And a really nice and strong friend like _Mateo_! You know, he reminds me of Ludwig…"

Lovino whipped around to face his brother, his amber eyes murderous, "Do _not _mention that damn potato-eating bastard in front of me! _Mateo's _not at all like him!"

"I'm so sorry, _fratello_, but Ludwig's a nice guy!" squeaked Feliciano. "You know…I was meaning to ask; why _did_ you run away? And why is _nonno _so upset with you? Did you really steal one of his inventions?"

Lovino grew silent as he rubbed his arm, "…I can't answer the first question…but _sí_, grandpa is pissed off with me because I stole the Snag Machine…"

"The Snag…what?" Feliciano asked cluelessly.

Lovino smacked his forehead with his palm, "_Che palle_…look, it's one of grandpa's latest inventions and it's got a great potential to do something good. Grandpa just doesn't act and know how damn capable it is…he was gonna just keep it in storage…"

"But…" Feliciano bit his lip. "Stealing isn't good, _fratello_."

"It is if the reasoning behind it is," responded Lovino. "We…me and _Mateo _need the Snag Machine to continue our journey and if you're in the way, we'll kick your ass!"

"Ve~! _Fratello_! You're so scary! But, I guess it's fine…" said Feliciano. "If you put it that way. How did you and _Mateo _meet, anyway?"

"Well…" Lovino rubbed his head and finally, spilled everything to his little brother. He told him of his experiences of being kidnapped, of his and Matthew's first meeting in Potato (Strenfürchtige) City, and how he and Matthew decided to become partners.

By the time he was finished, Feliciano was sobbing, "Ve~! That's terrible! Poor _fratello_! You've been through a lot! Are you okay?!" he then latched himself onto Lovino's torso.

"I'm fine, damn it!" snapped Lovino. "Now get the hell _off _of me!" he roughly shoved Feliciano off, but retained a calmer tone, "But, yeah…that's how _Mateo _and I met, and now…we're travelling together."

Feliciano beamed, "I find that really nice. He's a sweet person. It must be fun, ve~!"

"Well, it was nice eating gelato I guess," Lovino threw his cup in the bin nearby and stood up. "But we seriously have to be on our way. _Ciao_, Feli."

"_Ciao_, _fratello_!" said Feliciano as he wrapped his arms around his brother. "Good luck to the both of you!"

Lovino didn't say anything. Instead, he slowly turned around and hugged his brother back. He then went up to Matthew, "Come on, let's go, _Mateo_."

"Oh, alright then," Matthew smiled. He apologized and said goodbye to the children and returned all of his Pokémon back into their Poké balls.

Feliciano then ran up and hugged Matthew, too, "It's nice to make new friends!"

"Oh, um…" Matthew flushed at the unexpected sign of affection, but returned it.

Feliciano then leaned over and whispered in the Canadian boy's ear, "Please be good friends with my _fratello_…he could really use one."

Matthew's eyes widened at the younger Italian's words, but smiled, "Of course."

Once they broke apart, Feliciano pulled out a P*DA consisting of the colours of the Italian flag, "Can I have your P*DA number, please? Ve~ we can keep contact and I can talk to _fratello_! Even though he doesn't have one!"

"Why don't you have a P*DA, Lovino?" Matthew questioned curiously.

Lovino flushed, "Mine kept breaking! Now, no way in hell are you both going to exchange-!"

Too late, Matthew exchanged P*DA numbers with Feliciano.

"Chigi!" shrieked Lovino.

Feliciano waved to the pair, "_Ciao_! _Ciao _and good luck!"

"Goodbye!" Matthew waved back as he and Lovino walked forward.

Lovino snorted, but nonetheless, waved as well as he and Matthew moved onward to Feral Town; leaving everything behind, "_Ciao_…"

* * *

_And thus concludes the chapter. What to look forward to in the next one? Well, Lovino and Matthew will go back to their whole "stop the bad guys who are doing horrible stuff to Pokemon" routine in Feral Town. You will actually meet two REALLY important figures there._

_Thoughts and opinions guys? As always, have a nice day! :DDD_


	8. A British Gentleman in a Rogue Town

_Hey guys, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, another chapter brought to you by me! I'll probably do a few more updates until I leave on my trip - I want to at least finish the Feral Town arc. Anyway, big thanks go to **Mrs. Luigi Vargas** for the fave and the follow. Big thanks also go the review from **AliasAlliance**, **Lilypad the Fourth**, and**hetaliaforever123**._

_**AliasAlliance:** Yeah, sadly I won't be able to update during those times, but thank you very much for reading and wishing me a great trip! Lovino has that sort of a character that makes you drawn in I guess, I dunno? Haha, I'll try to update enough to keep me satisfied. Thank you for being patient, too! :D  
_

_**Lilypad the Fourth:** I really appreciate you looking at a lot of my stories and all the reviews, faves and follows! Haha, well we're going to Korea, Thailand then make a pitstop in Hong Kong, then finally the Philippines. My Spain has never been in any part of Asia, and I've never been to Korea or Hong Kong, either, so it'll be a lot like an adventure! XD You guys will miss me? I will definitely miss you guys, too! :D  
_

_**hetaliaforever123:** It's okay that you forgot! XD Actually...now that you mention it; I always wondered how Feli could see out of his eyes. I mean, I'm Asian with the whole stereotype around me, and I'm still boggled from that! 0.o we'll just say that Feli just opened his eyes for a _brief _second or so. Haha, yeah that bit where Feli and Mattie exchanged P*DA numbers did make me chuckle a bit - your comment made it the extra bit funnier! Thanks again for the support, and hope to read the next bit of yours as well! :D_

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_CHIGIIIIIII!_

* * *

"So _this _is what Feral Town looks like," Matthew said in wonder as he looked around – it was nothing at all like Strenfürchtige or Bellonora City, or Tatserr and Vtoroi Town. "It's so…_different_."

"More like shit," snorted Lovino. "This place is known as the town of rogues and thieves; keep your eyes peeled, _Mateo_!"

Matthew nodded as he and Lovino started walking around. The place had buildings that were rather run-down with peeling paint and worn out roves. The ground somehow became dry and barren, which shocked the Canadian boy as it was fruitful and thriving in Bellonora City. The place smelled rather odd, too…

As the pair entered Feral Town, they saw what appeared to be a Police Officer talking to a rogue wearing a black jumpsuit and orange goggles.

"Aww, Mr. Johnson, give a guy a break here!" pleaded the rogue. "I keep telling you, I know nothing!"

"That better be true, Cail," sniffed Johnson, the police officer. "If you're trying to con me, I'll know about it!"

Cail perked up with a salute, "Mr. Johnson, sir! I wouldn't think about lying to you! You have my word!"

"Alright, fine," Johnson nodded. "I'll let you off easy today. See you!" and with that, the man left.

Matthew and Lovino weren't surprised to see rogue Cail give a cackle upon the officer's departure, "Hehe! What an idiot! Of _course_ I haven't got a thing to say to you!"

Lovino rolled his eyes, "Who wanted to bet that this guy obviously had some important shit on him?"

Matthew shrugged as he looked around, "What kind of a place is this?"

"A shithole," responded Lovino. "Now come on, let's go; forget about that hobo up front."

The pair were now fully inside Feral Town and began looking around. Matthew was even more shocked upon the town on closer inspection. For instance, the Poké Market's sign had one letter that was about to fall off, all the street lights were flickering – almost dead – and there was trash everywhere.

"Lovino, what is that building?" Matthew questioned as he pointed at a green building that looked to be in a much better condition than the others.

"Dunno…" Lovino narrowed his eyes.

The pair entered the building and saw an old, yet somewhat brawny, man sitting at a desk. Suddenly, the police officer from earlier, Johnson, came dashing in and bumped straight into Lovino.

Lovino whipped around and Matthew followed suit, both seeing the officer suddenly spin around dizzily from the impact. "What the hell?" demanded the Italian.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…I'm sorry Chief, but there's trouble afoot!" Johnson reported. "You see, Chief, there's talk that thugs have been witnessed using strange Pokémon…" he then stopped when he noticed that he wasn't talking to the chief at all, but to an Italian wearing sunglasses and a cap. "…huh? Chief? …you're not the Chief…I beg your pardon!"

The chief, Charles, sighed, "I'm here, Johnson…that story isn't new. I've heard about it over and over again."

"Oh! Oh Chief, there you are!" Johnson blushed. "You're such a kidder! Ahaha."

"Um…that was really random," said Matthew.

"I'll say," agreed Lovino. "But if _that _guy is here, then the police here is just shit. Let's go, _Mateo_. I think we can take care of things ourselves."

And so, the pair left and after looking around, decided to enter another building. This one also looked to be in a better condition than the others and it stood right next to the Hotel. It was also the colour orange with a golden coloured Poké ball at the front.

Upon entering, the pair looked around and saw that there were a load of bookshelves as well as a few couches inside. There was also huge desk with a stack of paper in a pile, as well as some ink and a pen.

Right at the desk, there sat a young, blonde gentleman with green eyes and the bushiest eyebrows that the pair had ever seen. He was wearing a green sweater vest as well as a white polo shirt from what the eye can see. He was currently sipping tea and upon hearing the door open, looked up in time to see the pair.

"Good day to you, gentlemen," the man said in a rather noticeable British accent. "The name's Arthur. I run the Colosseum here. If you would like to enter a battle, then please, go see the Colosseum's receptionist."

"Arthur…" Lovino breathed as he scowled slightly from behind his sunglasses. _'Where the hell have I met this guy again?'_

"Now, if you'll excuse me; I am quite busy," Arthur waved a dismissive hand in their direction as he took another sip of his tea. He then began writing on a piece of paper.

Lovino pondered for a while longer, then instantly, his eyes widened and he stood, frame frozen, "Ch-chigi…!"

"Lovino?" Matthew asked, concerned. "Are you alright? Do you know this guy?"

Lovino licked his lips, "He definitely looked familiar…can't really say _where _I've seen him, but he has this fucking scary look around him…"

Matthew nodded as he thought, _'This man looks like someone we don't want to mess with. I think it's the eyebrows that make him look scary. He looks busy, too; we should just leave and not disrupt him…'_

It was then, that the pair noticed that there was a young man standing in front of a book shelf. He had dark skin, black hair that was combed back, and a _tilaka _on his forehead. He was also wearing a loose, white shirt and brown pants as well as sandal. He was gazing at the books.

After Matthew nudged Lovino and pointed to the young man, the pair approached him. It looked suspicious.

"What the hell are you doing?" inquired Lovino.

The boy jumped at hearing the Italian's question, but replied rather nervously, "Oh! Um…I'm the lookout! Nothing to see here! There's nothing special behind the bookshelf!" he quickly grabbed a book and ran to another bookshelf, peering inside of it intently.

Lovino rolled his eyes as Matthew came forward to look around. The pair searched for a while until Matthew felt his fingers press onto something smooth. Lovino peered as well and the pair found a button behind some of the books on this bookshelf.

"Press it?" questioned Matthew.

"Hell yes," responded Lovino.

Upon doing so, the bookshelf suddenly moved by itself, revealing a secret passageway. Exchanging glances, Matthew and Lovino entered, going through a small tunnel and eventually ending up in a grotto. There were also two teenagers, about the same age as the young man out front, who were sitting around one table. One was speaking loudly while the other looked bored.

"Alex's done nothing but chatter," sighed the young man. He had somewhat thick eyebrows (though not as bad as Arthur's), and had brown hair with two ahoge, as well as very pale green eyes. He also had a bandage across his nose and was wearing khaki shorts and a black shirt. "As annoying as one's trouble and strife…"

"Okay…this is what we do—" spoke up the other person. This one had short, brown and slightly wavy hair with an ahoge on both sides of their head, similar to that of a sheep's horn. There were also thick eyebrows, but again, not as bad as Arthur's.

Honestly, Matthew and Lovino couldn't tell whether this one was a boy or a girl – even the name was ambiguous!

Right now, Alex shrieked as he caught sight of the pair, "Ahh! Wait! No-one was supposed to know of the secret hideout! Raksha is supposed to be on lookout duty…what the heck's he doing?"

Since there was nothing else around (and so the person Alex would stop screaming), the pair were about to leave through the secret passageway, but Lovino stopped in his tracks. Matthew bumped into his back; both were still in the tunnel.

"What is it, Lovino?" questioned Matthew. Lovino quickly shushed him, prompting the Canadian boy to lean over and see what the Italian was staring at.

In Lovino's line of vision, Arthur's desk was seen again, but this time, he was being confronted by a man.

This man had a crop of slightly curly, coffee-coloured hair atop his head and tanned skin. He also had forest green eyes that were (it seemed), attempting to burn holes right into Arthur's head.

"Chigi!" squeaked Lovino as he then hid behind Matthew. All of a sudden, he pressed something on the pad of the Snag Machine, deactivating it.

"Wh-what are you doing?!" Matthew squawked as the Snag Machine began crawling down to his hand. However, this wasn't what caused the Canadian to protest.

Lovino taking Matthew's red hoodie off.

"Shut up!" hissed Lovino. "Just trust me on this one! Take off your jacket and give it to me, please, damn it!"

Matthew licked his lips, but afterwards, obeyed, _'He said please – he must be desperate_.' He discarded his hoodie and handed it to Lovino. The Italian slipped on the red jacket and raised the hood up, obscuring his head, cap and sunglasses still on. He finally activated the Snag Machine all over again, and at once, the Canadian boy could feel it crawl back up his arm.

By the time they were done, they could hear yelling. They carefully peered from the secret passageway at the scene before them.

"_Arturo_!" shouted the tanned man. "How much more are you going to take from this Ace and his stooges?! They're using you and the Colosseum! What's wrong with you? Have they sucked the spirit right out of you?!" He slammed his hands down on Arthur's desk, causing a loud bang to rattle the house.

Arthur said nothing, instead looking away as he sipped his tea.

"Tch," scoffed the tanned man, his accent rather thick. Matthew thought that the accent sounded familiar, but he couldn't exactly place what sort of an accent it was. He listened more closely as the man shouted, "Everyone in this town is suffering! Can't you see it? They need you to be strong! To be strong for _them_! Why can't you do that?!"

Arthur glared, looking at him right in the eye, "You think I don't want to act, you twit? I just can't do anything! Period! I can't do anything right now…"

"And why not?!" demanded Antonio.

"I can't say…" Arthur shook his head and tried to look at the man calmly. "Look, Antonio - Anthony; I appreciate you being concerned, but this town is _my _responsibility. And therefore, I must ask you to refrain yourself here and stick your nose out of my business."

His words only seemed to enrage the brunette man further. "I can't believe this!" he shouted. "I can't believe this is coming from one of the strongest people I have ever known! I've lost complete faith in you, _Arturo_!"

He stormed out and slammed the door behind him, leaving Arthur in silence. The blonde rubbed his head, took another sip of tea, and resumed in writing something down.

The young man that had stood guard at the bookshelf, Raksha, sighed as he looked at Matthew and Lovino, "The man that went out is Mr. Antonio. He and Arthur are big rivals, but they're friends, too."

"Yeah…" mumbled Lovino.

"Mr. Antonio's usually so happy and cheerful," remarked Raksha uneasily. "But he was really angry just then – his face looked so scary. I didn't think that was even possible!"

"Yeah…" Lovino mumbled again. "Same here, kid…"

The pair left Arthur's house, also silent. Matthew awkwardly rubbed the back of his head as Lovino stuffed his hands into the pockets of the Canadian boy's hoodie. No exchange of dialogue happened between the two for a little while longer as the pair continued on their way, until Lovino quietly mumbled, "I need to keep your jacket for a while…"

Matthew gave a start, "O-oh! Um…yeah, okay; I don't see much of a problem…"

Lovino arched his eyebrows, shocked, "S-seriously!?"

Matthew shook his head; it was getting hot, anyway and besides, Lovino seemed to be a man on the run – a pair of sunglasses and a cap wouldn't provide as an efficient disguise for him for long. "I don't mind, really – it think it's for the best, too," explained the Canadian boy. "Nobody would be able to notice you and…I guess it makes you feel more comfortable."

As Lovino gaped at him, Matthew thought to himself, _'Lovino seemed to know that Antonio man. I would like to know what's what between them, but Lovino will just snap at me if I ask. Nah, I shouldn't – it's none of my business after all. Besides, I think he'll tell me in his own time one day.'_

"_G-grazie_…" grumbled Lovino, feeling his ears turn red. _'What the hell?'_ he thought to himself. _'This kid…he's way too nice…'_

The pair saw a circle in the middle of a huge square drawn from yellow chalk. However, there seemed to be a load of ruffians having Pokémon battles. Rather _rough _Pokémon battles.

Lovino stopped in his steps, "Oi, _Mateo_…"

"What is it?" asked the Canadian boy.

"It was this place that I saw Mienfoo," replied Lovino, his eyes narrowing from behind his sunglasses. "I tried to get the hell out of here, but that's when those two bastards grabbed me. We should keep an eye out and our asses careful; even at the best of times, which I doubt this place even has any, there's nothing fucking normal about this place."

Matthew licked his lips. He nervously nodded, "O-okay. I'm ready; let's just go."

Deciding that the best option would be to avoid the rough ruffians for now, Matthew and Lovino fled, running on a bridge that hung over a huge divide. They ended up in a huge dome where the Feral Colosseum was.

Lovino shivered when he looked down the cliff – it was pitch black, "What the fuck?! It's like this thing's trying to suck you down!"

Matthew looked over and wondered how deep it was. He didn't want to find out, either, which prompted the pair to enter the Feral Colosseum.

"Welcome to Feral Colosseum!" greeted the receptionist in rather tight and revealing clothing. "Are you here to register for entry? I'm sorry, but the current challenge is already under way. Please, wait for the next challenge's registration."

"_Cazzo_…" Lovino breathed; his eyes boggling at the receptionist. Matthew sighed with a slight smile on his face as he dragged the Italian away.

While resting, they saw a male hunter sitting at a table drinking some ginger ale. "Tch! Both of you not make it for registration, too?" he asked.

"Y-yeah; I didn't make it," Matthew said quickly as Lovino finally snapped out of it.

The hunter snorted, "I'm with you there, buddy; I didn't get here in time to make the registration, either! I've heard rumours that if you win the challenge, you get a wicked Pokémon like that Cail did."

"Wait, what?" questioned Matthew, eyes boggling as Lovino spoke up, "Cail?"

"Oh, sheesh, what am I saying?!" the hunter shook his head. "You have to keep that a secret! Pretend you never heard me, okay?"

Matthew and Lovino exchanged a glance. "Cail? Hold on! That sounds familiar…oh yeah!" Lovino snapped his fingers. "Wasn't he that hobo who was hanging around the town's entrance?"

Matthew nodded, though he was unsure if it was right to call Cail a hobo. "Yes, we should ask him," he said. "He might know something."

And so, after healing his Pokémon at a Restore Machine in the Feral Colosseum, the pair left and went back to the entrance to see that Cail was still there. The rogue was just casually pacing around.

"Hey, you!" Lovino called.

"Huh? Me?" Cail pointed at himself as the pair approached him.

"Yeah, you! We got some important shit to talk about!" said Lovino sharply.

"Hah? What's that?" after some explanation, Cail cackled, "You wanna know if I have a weird Pokémon? If you wanna know _that _much, you might as well see it with your own eyes!"

* * *

_And again I end the chapter like so - just what will Cail unleash on Matthew? Will Lovino ever tell Matthew about his screwed up complications? What was so important about Arthur and Antonio (they're actually REALLY important and show up extremely later, too)? You guys can try taking a guess, but I'll only alert you if you're right through a PM - I'd like to keep it as a surprise. )_

_Anyway, thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day, guys! :DDD_


	9. Cail and a Missing Gear

_Hello there, HetaWriter/HetaReader here - another chapter brought to you!_

_Honestly, I'm not sure if I could finish the Feral Town segment in time, but we'll see. A big thanks goes to **kuroiyou63** for the follow, and to **AliasAlliance**, **hetaliaforever123** and **RippedSenDen** for the reviews!_

_**AliasAlliance: **Those weird Pokemon will have a proper name in this chapter. The name may sound weird or cliche or lame, but this story was ultimately based on Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD so the name was pretty much there. Yes, something VERY serious is going on...DUN DUN DUN! *shot*  
_

_**hetaliaforever123:** Hahaha! Are you a Spamano fan? I like it, but it's not my OTP or my most used couple, either - I'm more of a cracker if anything. Cail actually isn't a character in Pokemon Black/White - he's a character in Pokemon Colosseum/XD. Ohohoho Arthur and Antonio ARE strong trainers, but I'm not going to say anything else from that. Haha, thanks for the support as always!  
_

_**RippedSenDen:** In a way, yes - Ace/Ladonia is Miror B, but the battle with him is actually very long into the future because he fits with the other Admits (roster wise). Hahaha, don't miss us TOO much, Den - we'll be back soon enough!  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_*drunkenly* Am I Catholic or Protestant? God, I don't know..._

* * *

Cail threw one of his Poké balls and unleashed a Ralts.

"_Mateo_, get ready!" shouted Lovino. "This one's not a weird-ass Pokémon, but he'll probably whip it out afterward!"

"Definitely!" responded the Canadian boy as he took out a Poké ball as well. "I'll give you a shot – Chimchar!"

Once the light disappeared, the Chimp Pokémon looked around with curiosity. Matthew shouted, "Chimchar, use Shadow Rush!"

"Char!" the Chimp Pokémon rushed forward, engulfed in a shadowy aura, and struck the Feeling Pokémon, knocking it backwards.

"Ralts use Confusion!" commanded Cail. The Psychic Pokémon obeyed, unleashing a great psychic blast on Chimchar who was also forcefully knocked back.

Chimchar then gave a loud snarl as Lovino's eyes widened, "_Mateo_, Chimchar's in Hyper Mode! The aura changed from purple black to red black!"

"What? Chimchar?" Matthew was alarmed when his Chimchar suddenly used Shadow Rush and attacked Ralts again, this time, effectively knocking it out. "Chimchar! Chimchar!" he called.

The Chimp Pokémon stopped and responded, regaining its senses from its trainer's call. Lovino took out his Research Journal and began scribbling stuff down – _'We'll call this state Hyper Mode for now…'_

"Damn," snarled Cail. He whipped out another Poké ball and chucked it, "Go out there, Seedot!" once the flash disappeared, the rogue ordered, "Now use Bullet Seed!"

"Chimchar, quickly use Flame Wheel!" shouted Matthew.

Chimchar's mouth became ablaze as it ran forward in all fours, next it leapt and began spinning in a ball as it whirled right at Seedot. The Bullet Seed simply got burnt from the blaze of Flame Wheel. Unsurprisingly, Seedot was out for the count very quickly.

"Okay, that does it!" snapped Cail as he returned Seedot. "You wanna see my Pokémon so badly? Well, here it is, kiddies! Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

Once the light disappeared, Pidgeotto gave a loud war-cry as it flapped its wings, staying airborne. Its glare pierced right at Matthew.

Lovino nodded, "_Mateo_; it's that one!"

Matthew nodded as he shouted, "Chimchar, use Shadow Rush again!"

"Char! Chimchar!" with that, Chimchar dashed forward into a ball, its mouth on fire, and began rolling towards Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!" ordered Cail.

Pidgeotto suddenly folded its wings as it dived right at Chimchar, slamming recklessly right into the Chimp Pokémon. Chimchar gave a loud cry as it was knocked backward – no match against Pidgeotto's greater weight and aerial force.

"Chimchar, you use Shadow Rush, too!" commanded Matthew.

The Chimp Pokémon began running forward on all-fours, engulfed in a shadowy aura and gave a leap, ready to strike Pidgeotto.

"Show them _true _strength, Pidgeotto!" smirked Cail. "Shadow Rave!"

"W-what…" Matthew was speechless. "Shadow…Rave?"

"Shadow Rave?!" Lovino perked up, alarmed. "What the hell?!"

Both became stunned when Pidgeotto suddenly gave a loud shriek as it spread its wings out. Soon enough, a shadowy aura was unleashed in the ground and was used to launch spikes. Chimchar gave a loud cry as it was ultimately knocked backward.

"Chimchar!" cried Matthew in alarm. He rushed forward to see that the poor Chimp Pokémon was knocked out. "Oh no!"

"Just send out another one!" Lovino called urgently. "Use Kumajirou!" the Italian licked his lips as he began writing down the fact, "So there are more of these Shadow moves? _Che palle_…how many are there? What sick people actually _made _these sort of things?"

"Chimchar, you did your best," Matthew smiled weakly as he returned the poor knocked out Chimp Pokémon. He then took out another Poké ball, "Okay! Kuma! I choose you!"

"Choo!" once he was out, Kumajirou stared at its opponent, looking pumped for a battle.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rave again!" ordered Cail.

"Quickly Kuma, use Icy Wind!" shouted Matthew.

Pidgeotto was fast though; it unleashed the accursed attack right on the Chill Pokémon. Kumajirou was pushed backwards, but the Ice-type Pokémon stood its ground as it unleashed a great gale of ice straight at the Flying-type Pokémon.

"Pidgeo!" shrieked Pidgeotto as its wing was caught in ice, prompting it to crash to the ground.

"It's frozen! Now's your chance, _Mateo_!" yelled Lovino. "Catch the bastard!"

"On it!" Matthew whipped out a Poké ball and all at once, the Snag Machine converted it into a Snag Ball. The Canadian boy tossed the ball right at Pidgeotto.

The ball bounced away a few times before it started vigorously shaking several times. Matthew and Lovino stared at the ball with bated breath. Then the ball stopped shaking anymore.

Lovino sighed in relief while Matthew's face broke into another grin, "I caught it! I caught another weird aura Pokémon with the Snag Machine!"

Cail was speechless. His jaw dropped as he gaped, "M-my Shadow Pokémon!" he kicked the ground, angry. "Bah! That was it? That lying little weasel! He came up with that fancy, shmancy tough-sounding name, _Shadow Pokémon_, but it was no big deal! You can easily get them captured by other trainers! Bah!"

"Um…" Matthew didn't know whether to correct Cail by saying that it was the Snag Machine that enabled him to capture Pidgeotto in the first place, but Lovino stopped him so they could hear more.

"You guys be careful, too," warned Cail. "Don't' be played for a sucker. That's about all I can say."

"Shadow Pokémon?" Matthew glanced at Lovino.

"So _that's _what they're called," said Lovino darkly. "Those Pokémon with the weird-ass aura…Shadow Pokémon…"

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

In an old, seemingly abandoned building, Ace stood before a monitor screen. The monitor screen displayed a young, bespectacled man looking rather smart in a suit and holding a laptop and clipboard.

"I trust things are going according to plan, Ace?" the glasses-clad man questioned.

"Yes, Eduard," responded Ace. "Our plan is coming along well. We have already broken Arthur's spirit – we can do as we please at the Colosseum without his meddling. We've been giving away Shadow Pokémon on the sly to the challenge winners for gathering data."

"Good, good," the bespectacled man nodded. "The others also appear to be doing their parts to implement our plan. Our Shadow Pokémon plan is falling into place quickly. The final phase still needs time, however. A _lot _of time."

Ace chuckled as the bespectacled man finished, "I'm off."

The monitor screen was shut off, leaving a blank screen. Ace turned to two women – one had her hair dyed purple and wearing a vest and short, pink skirt, while the other was a redhead wearing a yellow shirt and a brown vest. "Well, then!" the Ladonian boy announced. "I shall make my return to the cave where our guest awaits! Later!"

And with that, he strode away.

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

"Looks like the Colosseum has a secret," noted Matthew as he and Lovino walked on.

The Italian nodded, "Guess there's no choice but to take part in a battle challenge. Your ass better be ready for it."

"Yes, I'm ready," the Canadian boy nodded, though his stomach was twisting into knots. "Let's go to the Colosseum now."

The pair continued along their way, straight towards the Feral Town Colosseum, when they walked past a blue building with a large windmill that wasn't moving. Both thought it to be odd, but became alarmed when the door to the building suddenly opened.

Out trudged a man in a white coat, limping weakly and finally, collapsing right before the pair.

"Holy shit!" shrieked Lovino.

"Maple! Oh my God!" squeaked Matthew.

"S-someone…help me…" the man rasped. "There's trouble…the chief engineer's inside! This Spanish man came and…" he collapsed, fully knocked out.

Matthew looked at Lovino to see that the Italian's eyes widened. They quickly hurried into the windmill and saw the chief engineer sprawled out on the ground as well. They both came forward.

"Hey, are you alright?" questioned Matthew, concerned. "Can you get up?"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…" groaned the chief engineer. "That's the last time I trust a Spaniard with an innocent smile!"

"What the hell even happened?" inquired Lovino, noticing that the place looked fine, save for the chief engineer who had a bump on his forehead.

The chief engineer was able to get up, "This Spanish guy just barged himself in here and when I least expected it, he ripped out and ripped off one of the gears! The Colosseum's going to be without power!"

Before either Matthew or Lovino could think of anything to say, Charles and Johnson, the police officers, came rushing in.

"Chief engineer! Are you alright?!" questioned Charles.

"Yeah, the only thing bruised is my pride," sighed the chief engineer. "It was this weird, random Spanish guy. We were having a nice conversation about tomatoes at first, so I wasn't expecting any trouble. He looked completely harmless!"

"A Spaniard that talks about tomatoes…" Charles looked incredulous. "That sounds a lot like Antonio."

"Huh?!" Johnson's eyes boggled. "But isn't Antonio one of Arthur's most trusted friends? What are his motives for doing this?"

"That's what I want to know," agreed the chief engineer. "After our talk of tomatoes, he was then ranting about how the Colosseum can just shut down." He turned to Matthew and Lovino, "Thank you, younglings. Sorry to have worried you.

"No, it's fine," responded Matthew, seeing that Lovino looked speechless.

"But I need to ask for a favour," said the chief engineer. "Will you hear me out? If the Colosseum loses power, the whole town suffers. I need you to find that gear that that Spaniard ran off with. I'm counting on you, younglings!"

Matthew nodded, "You bet; you can count on us for that."

"But where the hell would we even _find _a gear?" questioned Lovino. "Where would that tomato bastard even put it?"

Matthew shrugged, "I don't know…but let's start searching. Maybe we can ask around – someone _must _have seen that Spanish man with a gear. I mean, look at all of the gears – they _are _quite large. Someone must have seen him."

And so, the pair began their search around Feral Town, asking a few people along the way, but to no avail. For some odd reason, nobody seemed to notice a Spaniard running around with a large gear. The pair were about to feel rather disheartened, until they reached the entrance to Feral Town and noticed Cail clutching at his head. Obviously, since it looked rather odd, Matthew and Lovino ran up to the rogue.

"Are you alright?" the Canadian boy asked, slightly worried. "You don't look so good…"

"Obviously, 'cause I'm not!" snapped Cail, rubbing his head. "Stupid Mexican weasel…"

"_Mexican_?" Lovino's eyes widened. "Are you sure he wasn't Spanish?"

"I don't give a damn _what _that guy is, he hit me on the head with a freaking gear!" yelled Cail. "I was only asking him where he was going with a gear – it looked suspicious as hell, then he was speaking rapid Spanish and he whacked me with it! By the time I caught myself, he was running off and yelling sorry at me! Sorry my butt!"

"That sounds just like the guy who took the gear," said Matthew. "Which way did he go off to?"

"That way," Cail pointed at a specific direction. "Probably went to hide out at the construction site over there…"

"Construction site?" inquired Lovino. "What the hell are they building there?"

Cail shrugged, "Beats me. I heard rumours that they were gonna build a tower or something – can't really determine for sure. But seriously, there's nothing else but water if you're not going to the construction site. That Mexican guy would either have to swim, surf or hide away in the construction lot."

"Seems like that's our best bet," sighed Matthew. "Thank you, Cail – you've been really helpful."

"Surprisingly," grumbled Lovino as an afterthought.

Cail nodded, "'Was nothing, but don't you go around telling people I'm nice, you hear? If the trainers at Duel Square hear that _I _have helped out two kids, I'll be a laughing stock! Oh yeah, one more thing – can you guys do me a favour?"

"What the hell would that be?" questioned Lovino.

"If you find that Mexican guy, can you _please _just kick him in the place where it hurts most? Seriously, my head hurts – I'll probably go to the Hotel; I want revenge on that guy!"

"He was Spanish, not Mexican," corrected Matthew.

"Like I said before; I don't give a damn what that guy was, just hit him _really _hard," snapped Cail. "So hard that he cries!"

"Well, we better leave now," said Matthew. "Hope your head gets better – just rest in the Hotel for a while."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" said Cail as he slowly stood up. He began to walk towards the Hotel in a rather dizzy fashion.

"He's gonna get a really bad bump by the looks of it," murmured Matthew. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"What I don't get it is how he the hell can he even rest at the hotel?" noted Lovino. "The hotel costs a damn amount of money – I thought that guy was a hobo!"

"What was that, Luigi?!" Cail whipped his head around, glaring right at the pair.

"Chigi! Let's get the hell outta here!" cried Lovino as he grabbed Matthew's arm and, like a true Italian, sped out of Feral Town in direction to the construction site.

The construction site turned out to be much farther than what the distance had led the pair to believe. They were walking for what seemed like hours with aching feet and when they finally reached it, Matthew and Lovino almost collapsed. However, after resting up near a few trees, the pair looked up to see that there were grey walls covering what seemed to be the lot.

"What do you think they're building?" Matthew questioned.

Lovino shrugged, "Hell would I know? Let's just look around for that stupid gear…"

And so, the pair began searching, both donning builder's helmets, but avoiding all of the workers since they weren't wearing worker's clothes. Though Lovino was trying his hardest to tiptoe, Matthew just strode by rather casually.

"How the hell can you be so damn calm?" whispered Lovino through grit teeth. "What if they see us?"

"Oh, they won't see me," replied Matthew in a tone of voice that was far too casual for the Italian's liking.

It wasn't long, but the pair eventually came to the northeastern corner of the lot and found a bronze gear that looked far too out of place.

"Geez…why the hell would it be here in the first place?" inquired Lovino as he and Matthew picked it up. "Wouldn't that tomato bastard attract like a shit load of people for carrying that thing around? I mean, look at it! And in plain fucking sight, too!"

"That _does _sound strange," agreed Matthew. "But, it doesn't matter, really; we have it, and now we can go back to what we were doing."

"_Sí_, let's get out of here."

Matthew and Lovino both began dragging the gear back to Feral Town, and sure enough, they grew exhausted all over again from the far distance. They made a quick stop at the Hotel and rested for about a few hours – since Lovino wanted to have a siesta; and finally returned to the windmill again.

Upon entering the windmill, the pair could see that the man with the white coat, the chief engineer's assistant, was now standing up, back on his feet again. The chief engineer was also talking to Arthur, the blonde British gentleman who the Spaniard was pissed off at earlier.

"I am terribly sorry, chief engineer," apologized Arthur. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Ayup, I'm fine," the chief engineer waved a dismissive hand. "There's no need for all the worrying, Arthur."

"Good, that's jolly good," Arthur sighed in relief, than he clenched a fist, "But Anthony…what the bloody hell was that git thinking?!"

"No, no," the chief engineer spoke up. "From what I'm hearing about that guy from Charles and Johnson, he sounds like a good man who just acted rashly. I reckon he agonized over this and did it because he thought it right. Can't really blame the guy for that." Noticing Matthew and Lovino with the gear, he then chuckled, "Enough about that, Arthur; instead, I think you should look over there."

Arthur turned around, "Wha…you two?"

The chief engineer chuckled, "I reckon you might be saying thanks, Arthur."

Upon seeing the gear, the British man was ecstatic, "Th-that's the gear! You found it for us? Oh, what amazing luck! I'll ask you to please pardon me for my behavior earlier. You seem to be people who are worthy of trust. You have my utmost sincere gratitude."

"Alright, I'll get you to slot that gear snugly back in that gap where it belongs," the chief engineer motion to an empty space.

Matthew and Lovino both came forward with the missing gear and placed it back into its slot with great care. They both took a step back once the task was done.

"All done! Standing by! Let it roll!" the chief engineer then began to sing, "Oh, thirty long years of cranking up gears~! Oh, yeah!"

"He's been doing this for _thirty _years?" Lovino asked incredulously.

The chief engineer turned one of the levers on the control panel and at once, the windmill sprung to life – working as if nothing happened before. He cackled, "This is the way it ought to be. Things are fine now."

Matthew smiled, "I'm glad." He began watching the gears crank and move, slightly fascinated. He didn't know why, but maybe it was the way the teeth moved where as one moved up, one moved down and the teeth fit perfectly in place.

"Oi!" Lovino tapped Matthew's shoulder. "We still have something to do, _Mateo_!"

"O-oh yeah!" Matthew gave a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry! I was just fascinated by the gears…"

The pair were about to leave the windmill to continue on with their plans, when Arthur came forward after them.

"Wait a second, chaps," the British man said. "I can tell you're both men of courage and honour. I have a favour to ask, will you hear me out?"

After exchanging a glance, Lovino shrugged, "Meh, why the hell not? You're probably gonna shove it down our throats, anyway."

"Sure," cut in Matthew before Lovino could say anything ruder. "What's wrong?"

Arthur sighed, "I'm grateful. Now, I want you to enter the next Colosseum battle. I need you to win the knockout challenge and find out just what the bloody hell is going on there. I can tell from a glance that you're no ordinary trainer. I know you can win! Please, you have to help me."

"We were about to do that, anyway," said Lovino.

Matthew nodded, "Yes, let's go and do it."

* * *

_And the conclusion to another chapter. Now, with the Feral Colosseum itself, I won't go into TOO much detail with the battles, because they're quite tedious, but worry not about battling - Matthew will do quite a lot after he completes the Feral Colosseum! What will our heroes be expecting? Why can't Arthur do anything to stop Ace and his stooges? What the hell DID happen to the tomato bastard? _

_Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	10. A Rescue Mission, 3 Peons & A Spaniard

_Hey guys, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing to you the last chapter before I go on my trip. It's about 2 in the morning here, but the trip is at 5 p.m. thank God (I am NOT a morning person, not at all)._

_Anyway, a big thanks goes to **Princess of Infinity **for the fave, **Shizuka Nezumi **for the follow, and to **AliasAlliance **and **hetaliaforever123** for the reviews!_

_**AliasAlliance:** Who knows what goes through that Spaniard's head. Haha, I couldn't help but put that quip about Italians running really fast from Hetalia - it just felt so right! Ahh Pokemon XD...I was like 11 or 12 or something like that when I played it - I liked it, but I preferred Colosseum more. Thank you so much for all of the reviews by the way! :D  
_

**_hetaliforever123: _**_Yes, Antonio...what were you thinking? (You're still one of my favourite nations though XD) Hahaha, yes, I couldn't resist putting in that reference - I stumbled on an artwork on DeviantArt where Romano was Luigi and he was carrying Spain who was Princess Daisy while Italy as Mario was being carried by Germany who was Princess Peach. There was another artwork that depicted the Italy Brothers running away from England who was Bowser and Sealand who was Bowser Jr while Germany and Spain were imprisoned. I swear, my gut almost burst! XD And as always, thank you again for the support! :D_

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

_Fusosososo! Fusosososo!_

* * *

And so, Matthew and Lovino returned to the Feral Colosseum to partake in a challenge. However, due to Lovino not being a trainer, he was not allowed to go with Matthew. The Canadian boy was nervous – he hadn't had a battle before without Lovino near his side, observing and giving words of advice.

"Don't worry about it, I'll watch from the bystanders place," the Italian reassured. "Now go and kick ass!"

"Y-yeah, okay," Matthew sighed. _'Easy for him to say that – he's not the one battling. If I lose, then we won't be able to find out what _really _is going on here…'_

The blonde boy entered the Colosseum, right into a huge stadium where it was covered by a great metal dome. On various platforms, crowds of people were screaming and cheering, hooting at the top of their lungs.

Matthew scanned the area carefully and finally saw the Italian behind barbed wire. Lovino gave a thumbs-up as the Canadian boy nodded, looking at his opponent with a determined face…

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

Lovino was still stunned from watching Matthew during the whole tournament. The Canadian boy was able to defeat all of his opponents, moving to the second round, then to the semi-finals, and finally up to the final itself.

"Lovino! I won!" exclaimed the happy Canadian. "I can't believe it! I actually won the tournament!"

"I know," the Italian nodded. "Now shut up already – you're making too much noise!"

"Congratulations!" smiled the receptionist. "You're the champion! You battled fabulously! Please, accept your cash prize and as a victory prize, please also accept this TM06!"

Matthew stared with boggled eyes at the amount of money he was handed over, "That's quite a lot, actually…"

"No shit," Lovino spoke up, eyes ogling the money. "That _is _a lot. Put it in your wallet already! Don't just hold it out in the open air! What if some bastard tried to take it from us?!" the Italian inspected the TM. "TM06…that's Toxic!"

"Toxic?" inquired Matthew.

"Poison-type technique," explained Lovino. "Whatever gets hit by it gets poisoned. Nasty ass move it is if you're against it. Really useful if you're the one using it. Unlike most poisons, this one gets worse the longer it's not treated."

"That's incredible," Matthew stared at the purple disk in awe. Lovino took out the TM case where TM45 Attract and HM01 Cut were safely stored, and placed TM06 in it as well. Then, he placed the case back into the bag.

"We'll be looking forward to your next entry!" called the receptionist.

"I still can't believe that I won!" Matthew looked absolutely giddy.

"Don't forget that it's just phase one," murmured Lovino. "We don't know what the hell's going to happen next, but whatever it is, don't let your guard down!"

And so, the pair left the Feral Colosseum, going over the bridge again. However, at the other side of it, they saw a man that looked remarkably like Mystery Trooper Rosso from Strenfürchtige City, only he was wearing a grey-blue jumpsuit and helmet, and an orange bandana.

"Hi there!" the Mystery Trooper said. "You must be the superb trainer who has emerged triumphant in our latest battle challenge."

"Y-yes…that's us," stammered Matthew, taken aback by how friendly this guy sounded. Lovino simply narrowed his eyes from behind his sunglasses.

"Ace, the town's true mover and shaker, wishes you to have a gorgeous gift," continued the Mystery Trooper. "Now, follow me. The name's Nore, by the way."

Matthew and Lovino exchanged a glance as Mystery Trooper Nore led them to a building at the corner of the town that looked seemingly abandoned. Inside, he led them up to a counter where there was another Mystery Trooper waiting, only this one was female, wearing a purple helmet and outfit as well as pink elbow-length gloves and high-heeled boots.

Lovino stared at the female Mystery Trooper who gave him a smile. Matthew felt slightly nervous as Nore spoke, "Right, I'm back with our latest challenge champion. Let's present our lucky winner with a Shadow Pokémon and watch chaos unleashed!" he gave an evil chuckle. "Shade will triumph all!"

"Shade Peons…" Lovino whispered to Matthew. "That's what they are – they're like nothing but workers for some big boss…"

The Canadian boy nodded; that sounded just about right.

The female Shade Peon leaned closer, eyeing Matthew, "Our new chap is quite the appealing charmer," she said rather flirtatiously. "It makes a nice change from the parade of macho musclemen…" however, when she came forward and took an even closer look at Matthew, she gave a jerk and shrieked, "Wait! This isn't happening! No!"

"What is it?" Nore asked in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"This guy…he's that Matthew guy that Ace had been carrying on about!" cried the female Shade Peon.

Nore yelped as he stared at Matthew and Lovino, "WH-WHAT?! That same guy who messed with us in Strenfürchtige City?! The one who took down Rosso?!"

"That's him, bastards," snorted Lovino.

Shade Peon Nore screeched, "Gaaah! I didn't know that when I let him in here! I'll boot you back out!" he whipped out a Poké ball and released a Pineco

"Go, Pidgeotto!" shouted Matthew as he threw his own Poké ball, unleashing the Bird Pokémon.

"Pineco, use Rapid Spin!" ordered Nore.

Pineco rapidly spun right at Pidgeotto who was airborne. It hit the Bird Pokémon back, but Pidgeotto didn't seem too bothered by it.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!" called Matthew.

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon became engulfed in a shadow aura as it tucked in its wings and swooped right down at Pineco, barging recklessly into it. Pineco was knocked back on its top, but wriggled back up.

"Pineco, use Bide!" commanded Nore.

At once, Pineco started gathering energy, storing it all up, charging.

"Knock that thing out, _Mateo_!" shouted Lovino in alarm. "It'll unleash its power after a while! Hurry!"

"Okay!" Matthew licked his lips as he yelled. "Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rave!"

"Geo…! Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto spread its wings as it flapped them down, causing shadowy spikes to burst from the ground and strike Pineco. However, the Bug-Pokémon still remained upright.

"_Mateo_! That thing is storing energy! Knock it out already!" shrieked Lovino.

"I'm on it, don't worry! Pidgeotto, use Gust!" called Matthew.

"Pidge, geo!" Pidgeotto spread its wings out and immediately began flapping them in quick succession, unleashing a powerful gust of wind.

This time, Pineco was knocked backwards and knocked out for the count.

"Return!" snarled Nore as he recalled Pineco. He then whipped out another Poké ball, "Surskit! Go!"

Once the flash was gone, revealing the opponent's Pokémon, Matthew nodded, "We'll keep going, right, Pidgeotto?"

"Pidgeo! Geo!" chirped Pidgeotto as it did a loop-the-loop in the air.

"Okay, now Pidgeotto, use Gust!" shouted Matthew.

"Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto unleashed the said attack at Surskit.

"Surskit, use Quick Attack!" yelled Nore.

"Sur! Skit! Skit!" Surskit began skating on the smooth floor, effectively dodging the attack and rushing at Pidgeotto with great speed. Pidgeotto gave a screech as it was knocked backwards a bit, but with a quick flap of its wings, it was able to regain its composure.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!" called Matthew.

Pidgeotto immediately tucked its wings as it swooped down onto Surskit, knocking it back with a reckless Shadow Rush.

"Surskit, use Bubble!" yelled Nore.

"Skit!" sure enough, the Pond Skater Pokémon unleashed an onslaught of bubbles right at Pidgeotto, spraying the Bird Pokémon.

"Pidgeotto, quickly use Shadow Rush!" shouted Matthew.

Pidgeotto once more, tucked its wings in as it sped, emitting a shadowy aura. It was moving so fast, it burst through all the bubbles and slammed right into Surskit. The Pond Skater Pokémon gave a big cry as it was finally knocked back and knocked out for the count.

"It's no surprise how you managed to win the tournament!" cried Nore as he returned Surskit. "It's useless! I don't stand a chance of winning!"

"Now, hold on!" snapped the female Shade Peon. "_You're _the one who brought him here in the first place!"

After her remark, Nore fled the scene. The female Shade Peon quickly followed suit. As soon as they disappeared, Arthur ran into the building, accompanied by the three teenagers in his house.

"Oh! Thank goodness you're both safe!" Arthur sighed in relief. "I heard you entered this building – it had me worried!"

"Arthur! This is where they were giving Shadow Pokémon to the winners of battle challenges," explained Matthew.

Arthur was stunned, "Shadow Pokémon? Those ferocious breeds of Pokémon that even attack people?!"

"Yeah," Lovino nodded. "They're giving away Shadow Pokémon to the winners for some strange-ass reason, and it doesn't look good."

Arthur seethed, clenching his fists, "Grrr…they were using the Colosseum to do _that_?!"

"Sirs, you have to help our brother, please!" spoke up Raksha. "Arthur…his Pokémon was taken away by Ace as a prisoner!"

"H-he did what…?" Matthew asked in shock, but was quickly cut off by Lovino.

"Those bastards used a dirty move like _that_?!" the Italian roared.

"It's Arthur's Buneary," said Raksha. "I'm so worried that they might do something awful to it…"

"It's humiliating," said Arthur, starting to redden. "But with Buneary in their filthy hands, my own are tied…"

"So _that's _why you couldn't do anything…" Matthew realized.

Lovino swore, "Chigi! That bastard is _not _getting away with this! We're here now, we'll get Buneary back!"

"Of course!" agreed Matthew. "Arthur, it's dangerous inside this building – you've got to get everyone out to safety.

"Plus, if they find out you're here, they might actually do some horrible shit to Buneary," concluded Lovino.

"Thanks for everything, lads," said Arthur sincerely. "I have to depend on you; I have no choice. Be careful always! That twit Ace might look like a child, but his battling is all business!"

And with that, Arthur and his three younger charges left the building. Matthew and Lovino exchanged a glance and nodded. Just before they could begin their ascent in the building, which no doubt might contain a variety of trainers who worked for Ace, they both noticed a shining file left behind by the Shade Peons on the counter.

"What is that?" questioned Matthew.

Lovino leaned over and picked it up and read it, "Eduard File H."

"Eduard File H?" Matthew wasn't sure what to think of that. "Well…what does it say?"

"I'm on it, bastard - don't rush me," said Lovino. He flipped it open and began reading it aloud, "Eduard File H – Hyper Mode. Shadow Pokémon, perhaps because of their own overwhelming power, may behave abnormally at times. They may engage in such behavior as ignoring orders, even turning on their own trainers in battle. This, I have named Hyper Mode."

"Hyper Mode…" echoed Matthew.

"Looks like I was right on that whole Hyper mode…thing," Lovino looked genuinely shocked, but read on nonetheless. "Hmmm…on the plus side, Hyper Mode raises the critical ratio of Shadow moves. However, Hyper Mode also prevents the use of items on the Pokémon. Hyper Mode is easily dispelled. Simply call the Pokémon by name. However, this method has a major drawback – calling the Shadow Pokémon's name causes the closed door of its hear to loosen and open further."

"That's good, then," Matthew sighed in relief. He glanced at the Poké balls that contained Mienfoo, Chimchar and Pidgeotto. He had called on them a few times; it certainly explained why they were acting much more like normal Pokémon.

"Further research is urgently needed. Shadow Pokémon Lab Chief Eduard," concluded Lovino. He sucked some air from the corner of his mouth, "Damn…this shit is more twisted than ever! But now, at least we know how to dispel Hyper Mode – plus, it opens a Pokémon's heart progressively…" he placed the file into the bag. "This thing's damn useful; let's get more if we ever find any. Ready to kick ass _now_, _Mateo_?"

Matthew nodded, "Yes, let's."

And so, the pair began their ascent up the stairs. Expectedly, they ran into a bunch of trainers who did work for Ace. However, Matthew was able to eliminate those trainers. He was glad that Lovino found a Restore Machine in a room by accidentally tripping over a random piece of junk.

"Fufufu…" cackled a bandana wearing guy when he saw them. "My Pokémon are looking for the chance to go wild! Booyah!" when he lost, he seemed to calm down, "My Pokémon don't look like they've gone wild enough, but I'll let you off with just this, this time."

A hunter had yelled when he saw them next, "Abnormality detected! Target locked on!" and when Matthew beat him, he deflated, "Abnormality detected in friendly Pokémon…"

There was yet another bandana guy that Matthew and Lovino had bumped into when they went into a room that was a dead end. "My beloved Pokémon! See?" the bandana guy giggled. "Fresh prey!" however, once he lost, he cried, "Waaaaaaah! My beloved Pokémon are all beat up!"

"Your own fault for picking a fight with us, dumbass," snorted Lovino.

Moving on, the pair were seen by a male bodybuilder next. "You're like Bug Pokémon drawn to a candle!" he proclaimed. "I'm going with _these _Pokémon!" after he lost, he groaned, "No glory for the fallen…I'm crushed…"

On the next floor, there were just as much trainers.

A female rider, wearing a purple hat and a red bodysuit yelled at them, "Come and get some! We're gunning our engines!" when she lost though, she tried to make up an excuse, "I only lost because I didn't have a Shadow Pokémon this time."

Another male hunter spotted them next, "My Pokémon are solid troopers! Check them out!" he was beaten like the others. He spoke up, "So, admit it! My Pokémon are decent, huh? …even though they can't win…"

The next person who spotted them was a female hunter, "My Pokémon can dance with elegance even in a dump like this!" She moaned after she lost, though, "The end is always so cruelly pitiless…oh, woe…"

The last person that the pair had encountered was a female bodybuilder. "Now what compels someone like you to come here just for the sake of getting thrashed by me?" she questioned. When she lost, she shrieked, "The tables turned on me! Grr…done in, but how? What blind spot did you exploit?"

Matthew and Lovino finally reached the top of the building to where there was another compartment and a cave. The pair stopped when they could hear yelling from the compartment, choosing to enter it instead…

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

"Honey, aren't you one of Arthur's friends?" one of Ace's Peons, a purple-haired woman with a pink skirt shook her head disapprovingly with a pout. "What made you think that you could simply waltz in here? Such a silly boy."

Antonio seethed as he thrashed against his restraints, but the ropes proved to be too tight on his and wrists and ankles. "You're lucky you are both girls…but using physical force instead of a battle? Grr…where's Ace? I will take him down myself! Or does he have to hide behind his two nannies?"

"Who are you calling a nanny?" the other woman, a redhead wearing a yellow shirt and a black vest snorted. She kicked the Spaniard in the gut, "Ha! You seriously think you can take Ace down? After the beating you just took? That's too funny!" with that, she began to laugh cruelly.

"Just you wait," snarled Antonio after a wheeze. "I will drive all of you out of this poor town! You may have caught me off guard, but it's only because you're both too cowardly to take me on in a Pokémon battle!"

"Ooh, we have a feisty one here, Reath" cooed the first woman. "Not a bad looker, either. Now, don't tell me we have to take your Pokémon hostage to make you settle down?" Her hands inched towards his belt where his Poké balls were being kept, preparing to unbuckle them from their strap.

Antonio's eyes widened and he began struggling again, becoming understandably panicked, "What?! N-no! You wouldn't!"

"We would," Reath grinned evilly. "We so would."

"You can't!" cried Antonio. "I-it's my baby!"

"Heh, that wouldn't stop us, anyway," smirked Reath. "We did it to Arthur, didn't we Ferma?"

"Wh-what…?" Antonio's green eyes boggled. "_Arturo_…"

"Okay…that's enough!" shouted a loud voice.

Antonio, Ferma and Reath turned their heads around to see a blonde wearing a white shirt and a funny looking thing on his arm, as well as a brunette wearing a red hoodie with the hood up, as well as a cap and a pair of sunglasses.

"Seriously, quit harassing the bastard!" snapped Lovino.

"H-hey…" Antonio breathed. "He sounds like…"

"Oh? We seem to be getting a lot of unexpected company today," snorted Reath. "But that's no excuse for being a bad host."

"You may be girls, but that's not fair!" said Matthew as he stepped forward. "Ganging up on him and stealing his Pokémon without even a fair battle!"

"Look at you talking all high and mighty," snorted Reath. "Let's see you eat your words! Go, Spinarak!" she threw her Poké ball, unleashing the String Spit Pokémon.

Matthew nodded, getting used to battling by now, "Go, Chimchar!"

"Char! Chimchar!" the Chimp Pokémon exclaimed once the flash was gone.

Before Reath could say anything, Matthew took charge, "Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!"

At once, Chimchar ran forward, its mouth ablaze, and it began to spin in a ball as it whirled straight at Spinarak. With a great force, it knocked the Bug-Pokémon out in no time flat.

"It's super affective!" shouted Lovino.

"Damn it!" snarled Reath as she returned Spinarak. She then grabbed another Poké ball and yelled, "Luvdisc, go!"

"Luvdisc, Luv!" cried the Water-type Pokémon after the flash was gone.

"Luvdisc, use Water Gun!" ordered Reath.

Luvdisc commenced, spraying Chimchar with a powerful Water Gun attack. Unsurprisingly, Chimchar was blown back.

"Chimchar, quickly use Shadow Rush!" called Matthew.

"No you don't, brat! Luvdisc, use Take Down!" shouted Reath.

Before Chimchar could commence with its attack, Luvdisc came forward, slamming its body in a harsh tackle, blowing Chimchar back into a bookshelf nearby. The poor Chimp Pokémon whimpered as it tried to get up, not wanting to fail its trainer, but ultimately collapsed.

"Oh no!" cried Matthew as he ran towards it. "Oh…" he sighed as he cradled it slightly. "Take a long rest…" after returning Chimchar, the Canadian boy glared at Reath as he took another Poké ball, "Kuma! I choose you!"

Kumajirou was sent out. The Cubchoo looked determined as ever, "Choo!"

"Kuma, use Fury Swipes!" called Matthew.

"Choo! Choo!" Kumajirou dashed forward, its claws now glowing a it slashed one, two, three, then four times at Luvdisc, knocking it back.

"Luvdisc, use Take Down!" yelled Reath.

Luvdisc charged right at Kumajirou, knocking the Chill Pokémon back. Kumajirou was able to hold its ground, glaring right at its opponent.

"Kuma, use Fury Swipes again!" Matthew shouted.

"Choo!" Kumajirou followed its trainer's commands again and dashed forward, but was only able to slash Luvdisc twice.

"Luvdisc, use Water Gun!" screamed Reath.

"Luvdisc! Luv!" the Rendezvous Pokémon sent out a gush of water from its mouth right at Kumajirou, who stood its ground and tried to push against it with its own paws.

"Kuma! Quickly use Icy Wind!" shouted Matthew.

Kumajirou reared back its head as it unleashed a great wind of Icy Wind from its mouth. The ice crept up the oncoming Water Gun, effectively freezing Luvdisc.

"What the hell?!" shrieked Reath.

"Kuma! Now use Fury Swipes again! Do it with all you've got until it's knocked out!" screamed Matthew.

Kumajirou followed its trainer's commands again, slashing and hacking at Luvdisc until it finally went down for the count.

"How did that happen?!" yelled Reath. She returned Luvdisc, "Unbelievable! My Pokémon couldn't muster a thing! You're no ordinary trainer!"

Ferma narrowed her eyes at her partner's loss and stepped forward, "Were you hired by Arthur as his bodyguards? Let me warn you, little boy; if you mess with us, you'd better be prepared for the consequences!" and with that, she took out a Poké ball and threw it, "Aipom! Go!"

"Pom, pom, Aipom!" the Long Tail Pokémon chattered as it bounced around.

"Okay, Kuma, return!" called Matthew, knowing that Kumajirou may be tired. "Now, Mienfoo I choose you!" he threw his Poké ball forward.

"Foo!" Mienfoo punched its paws, bouncing on the soles of its feet, looking incredibly pumped.

"Aipom, use Agility!" ordered Ferma.

Aipom began running around, progressively getting faster to the point that Mienfoo was getting rather unsure.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" called Matthew.

"Foo!" Mienfoo shut its eyes, seemingly concentrating, then its eyes darted open moments later as it struck Aipom right in the gut, effectively knocking it backward, and also knocking it out.

"Damn, Mienfoo's a powerhouse," remarked Lovino, impressed by the little Martial Arts Pokémon. "Little useful bastard…"

"Ugh!" Ferma grit her teeth, but threw another Poké ball. "Go! Furret!"

"Furret!" said the Long Body Pokémon as it was unleashed out for battle.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break again!" called Matthew.

"Foo! Foo!" Mienfoo reared back its paws, which were now glowing white, and lunged right at Furret.

"Furret, use Defense Curl!" ordered Ferma.

Furret rolled into a ball and though it got struck by Mienfoo's attack, once it rolled out, it looked okay.

"Now use Take Down!" shouted Ferma.

"Furret! Fur!" Furret dashed forward and slammed into Mienfoo, knocking it back. The Martial Arts Pokémon regained its composure, standing its ground as it glared at its opponent.

"Mienfoo, use Shadow Rush!" called Matthew.

"Foo…Mienfoo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon dashed forward as it then exuded a shadowy aura. It slammed recklessly right into Furret giving a loud war-cry, knocking it right back.

"Furret, use Quick Attack!" called Ferma.

Furret quickly leapt back and slammed right into Mienfoo with great speed, knocking the little Martial Arts Pokémon back.

"Quickly Mienfoo! Use Shadow Rush again!" shouted Matthew. But much to his surprise, after Mienfoo did the attack, but its mouth was starting to glow. "W-wait! Mienfoo? What's happening?"

"_**Swift, an attack learned by Mienfoo,"**_ spoke up Matthew's Pokédex. The Canadian boy stared at it wide-eyed as it continued, _**"Star shaped rays are shot at opponents in battle. This attack never misses."**_

"Foo! Foo!" Mienfoo shouted at its trainer, seemingly ready to utilize the technique.

Matthew nodded, "Okay then, let's give it a try – Mienfoo, use Swift!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo reared back its head and opened its mouth, unleashing the star-shaped rays right at Furret, knocking it backwards into a bookshelf nearby like what happened to Chimchar. Furret collapsed, knocked out.

"What just happened?!" Ferma's eyes boggled as she returned Furret. "Unbelievable number two!" she turned to her partner. "Reath, let's make ourselves scarce for the time being!"

"Righto, Ferma," nodded Reath. "Ultra-super fire dash!"

And with that, both girls fled from in a quick dash. Matthew and Lovino cared not for them, though – they quickly went up to Antonio who was still trussed up. They helped untie him, loosening all the knots.

"Urgh…_ay_…" Antonio groaned as he tried to get up. "_Muchas gracias_, _mi amigos_. You saved me; I owe you both my life. Do you both know _Arturo_?"

"Yeah, we do," grumbled Lovino, his voice very low.

"Okay…oh, I was such a fool," Antonio said remorsefully. "I didn't know what was happening at all…they'd taken _Arturo's_ Pokémon hostage! How could they do something so dirty and cruel?"

"That's why we're here," explained Matthew. "We came to rescue Buneary."

"I'm going with you!" piped up Antonio, but when he tried to move up, he yelped, clutching at his butt, "_Ay_! _Ay_…"

"You're not going in your condition, you idiot," said Lovino coldly. "You just wait here."

"Excuse me, _señor_, you sound very familiar…" Antonio squinted his eyes as he tried to take a better look of Lovino's face.

Lovino tensed, "Erm…"

Suddenly, the monitor suddenly flickered and flashed on, revealing Ace with a smug grin on his face as he looked right at the three. "We meet again, losers!" he greeted.

"A-Ace!" snarled Antonio. "You cowardly little cheat!" and with that, he started ranting in Spanish.

Ace looked irritated, "Cowardly little cheat? That's so not true! Taking a hostage is perfectly fine as a bargaining tactic! And speak English; no-one understands what the hell you're saying, dumb airhead!"

"You call that a tactic?" yelled Matthew. "Buneary had better be okay!"

"Oh, the little guy couldn't be any safer if it tried!" cackled Ace. "I'm sure it will come to adore me before too much longer."

"You've got to be shitting me!" shouted Lovino. "Where the hell is it?! Give it back!"

Antonio stared up at the Italian, "You…you really do sound like…"

Ace chuckled darkly, "No running or hiding from me! Come to the cave; that's where I'll be. I'll be waiting for you, losers!"

And with a final laugh, the monitor was shut off. Lovino grit his teeth, Antonio also was seething, while Matthew saw another file just like the one that he and Lovino had found earlier. It was on the desk nearby.

The Canadian boy nudged the Italian, "Hey, there's another one of those files over there."

Lovino snapped his head around to see the file shining on the desk. "Hmm…wonder what this one says," he grumbled as he picked it up and flipped it open. He cleared his throat before reading, "Eduard File S. Shadow Pokémon – a Shadow Pokémon is a Pokémon that has been made into a fighting machine by artificially shutting the door to its heart."

"The door to its heart?" Antonio's eyes widened. "That's horrible!"

Lovino glared, "Can I finish reading?" seeing Antonio nod, the Italian continued, "What we didn't know is that the Shadow Pokémon exudes a dark aura that can't normally be seen by the human eye. Unfortunately, an Italian man with the ability to see this dark aura has been discovered. This is a major problem."

Matthew could detect the shaky tone in Lovino's voice.

Nonetheless, Lovino continued reading, "The Italian could become a huge obstacle for our Shadow Pokémon Plan. A solution to this threat is urgently needed. Shadow Pokémon Lab Chief Eduard." By the time he closed the file and placed it into his bag, Lovino looked really shaky.

Matthew placed a hand onto the Italian's shoulder, feeling him deflate. Lovino gave an exhale as he rubbed his head.

"Can I ask you something, _mi amigo_?" questioned Antonio. "What are your names?"

"I'm Matthew," said the Canadian. "And this is-"

"Romano," said Lovino flatly. "My name is Romano."

"Uh…" Matthew stared at the Italian, before remembering, _'Oh wait! Lovino knows this guy somehow, and he's hiding from him, too…'_

Antonio clearly looked disappointed, "Oh…okay. Well, it's nice to meet the both of you."

"What the hell are you looking at?" demanded Lovino as the Spaniard continued gazing at him.

"I'm sorry…" apologized Antonio. "It's just…you remind me of someone who means a lot to me…"

Lovino snorted, "Yeah, whatever…" he tugged on Matthew's arm. "We have business to attend to; _don't _move!"

"Good luck to the both of you!" Antonio called as Matthew and Lovino exited the compartment and made their way to the cave. The Spaniard winced as he tried to move, "_Ay_, _ay_, _ay_!" he yelped and pouted. "My butt hurts…"

* * *

_Before somebody bricks me for hurting Spain's ass *puts on sunglasses* I would first just like to wish you all a great month, because I will be leaving on my trip to (first) South Korea! I bet Yong Soo would feel awesome that we're visiting his country first._

_I would like to know what you guys think about the whole story so far - any great moments that stuck out to you? Any favourite characters? Any nostalgic Pokemon memories you have? Any constructive criticism you can offer me? Any queries about things here and there or guesses as to who the Gym Leaders or Elite 4 are and what type? (If anyone tackles this last question, you've really got guts on you). I'm all ears._

_Have a Prussia-awesome month, guys! :DDD_


	11. Spelunking & Ace Peon Mirakle!

_Hey guys, it's HetaWriter/HetaReader here, back from my trip! Hahaha, it was AWESOME. XD_

_Anyway, it was quite an adventure during my time in Asia; especially in Korea and the Philippines because my Spain kept getting himself lost - there was this one time in Manila where I lost him and was running around asking people for directions (I can speak Tagalog) until I eventually found him surrounded by kids who wanted him to buy stuff. Of course, since he loves kids, he bought stuff off them; mainly flowers and wreaths. Hong Kong was quite relaxing, I had to admit - it was nice to just take the sights; the Tian Tan Buddha was just so beautiful. At the top, I spoke to some of the shopkeepers while my poor Spain didn't know what was going on (we were speaking Cantonese, though I suck and have a limited knowledge of it). Thailand was filled with so many...friendly people. The temples were just as lovely, too._

_Anyway, enough of my rambling, big thanks goes **kuroiyou63**, **Mossnose**, and **USUK 4eva** for the follows. HUGE thanks to__**Romanostache** and __**CookiiRoxzXD00 **for the fave AND the follow. And another MASSIVE thanks to **Vault1412 (AlliasAlliance)**, **hetaliaforever123, RippedSenDen**, **Romanostache **and **CookiiRoxzXD00 **(again :D),**kuroiyou63** and **USUK 4eva **for the reviews!_

_**Vault1412/AlliasAlliance:** Haha, I don't mind any criticism at all - it helps me grow as a writer. Lovino/Romano is one of my favourite characters - coming in 3rd. Don't worry, Alfred WILL appear, but it'll be a bit of a later on with that one. What I will say is that he DOES have duties as a 'hero', but he more important duties, too. Tune in to find out if Antonio finds out if "Romano" is Lovino and if something happens to Arthur's precious Buneary. Nah, I don't think I could forget this fanfic even if I wanted to - it's a lot of fun writing it. Thank you!  
_

_**hetaliaforever123: **Yup, Arthur has a Buneary - why sound so surprised? XD Yeah, I couldn't help but put in those lines because Lovino _does _mean a lot to Antonio._

_**RippedSenDen:** Hurry up and get an account already! Your stories are NOT shit; they're quiet good! Also, your sister would like it, too - she won't have to review anonymously. Yeah, poor Toni gets bashed by two girls, but you can't blame him - he was taken off guard, and men have an obvious weak spot.  
_

_**Romanostache:** Thanks! I try to lean it more onto the games rather than the anime, because I started disliking it after Johto. However, I do admit that there are some good episodes in some of the future seasons, though they're not as good as the originals (I dislike the fact that Ash doesn't age as well).  
_

_**CookiiRoxzXD00: **Thank you very much! Don't worry, I'll update this fic as much as I can while I try to juggle my other stuff! :D  
_

_**kuroiyou63:** Hahaha, yup! Canada IS great! I actually like him a bit more than America, but don't worry - America is still loved and he WILL appear in the story, though quite later on since he has "hero" work and duties. The bit with Lovino as "Romano" was planned the whole time I was writing plans for this story because Spain tends to be...oblivious.  
_

_**USUK 4eva:** Don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story! :D  
_

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

_Maple-hockey!_

* * *

Matthew and Lovino had already left the compartment on the roof and began making their way to the cave just nearby. Why there was a cave there in the first place seemed rather odd, but it the building was so tall, that it was able to have a tunnel-like natural structure with pipes running inside of it from the top of the canyon's side.

They were about to enter, but were currently having trouble; there was a male hunter who was suddenly guarding the entrance.

"Hm? Oh, I get it. You guys weren't new recruits, but just intruders, too?" the hunter that was blocking the cave said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No shit, dumbass," mumbled Lovino.

"Hmph! Trying to be a smartass, huh? Well, let's see if you're any good at battling!" and with that, the hunter whipped out one of the Poké balls from his belt. "The name's Doken! Will you keep me amused?" he chucked the Poké ball and unleashed a Qwilfish.

"Okay…go Pidgeotto!" Matthew took out the Poké ball containing the Bird Pokémon and threw it, unleashing it.

"Pidgeo! Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto screeched as it flapped its wings to and fro, looking sharply at Qwilfish.

"Qwilfish, use Water Gun!" commanded Doken.

Immediately, a burst of water sprayed forth out of Qwilfish's mouth and shot right at Pidgeotto. The Bird Pokémon gave a startled screech as it got forcefully blasted backward. It quickly caught itself when the move was over, and Matthew took charge.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rave!" shouted Matthew.

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon began flapping its wings rapidly, and at once, spikes made from shadowy aura unleashed onto the ground and shot right at Qwilfish who was knocked back.

"Qwilfish, Poison Sting now!" called Doken.

"Pidgeotto, quickly Shadow Rush!" yelled Matthew.

Qwilfish shot out a stream of purple poison in small darts from its mouth while Pidgeotto recklessly rushed through the technique while being engulfed in a shadowy aura. It slammed quite harshly right into the Balloon Pokémon, sending it flying backwards and even slamming into the cave's outer wall, knocking it out for the count.

"That was great, Pidgeotto!" called Matthew, but he became alarmed when he saw that the Bird Pokémon was descending from its flight, shaking slightly and panting. The Canadian boy was even more horrified to see that there was a purple wound on Pidgeotto's shoulder. "Pidgeotto! W-what's wrong…?!"

"Poor bastard's poisoned!" Lovino responded. He quickly rummaged through the bag and pulled out what looked like an orange-coloured, spray-type of medicine. "Use this, quick!" he threw it right at Matthew.

Matthew fumbled, flustered as he caught it, "Wh-what is this, Lovino?"

"An Antidote," responded the Italian. "Heals poison. Hurry up and heal Pidgeotto, dammit! Heal it before it loses any more health!"

"R-right! Okay!" Matthew quickly used the Antidote on Pidgeotto, and at once, the Bird Pokémon ascended in its flight again. The Canadian boy sighed in relief, but it was short-lived when Doken unleashed another Pokémon, this time, it was a Linoone.

"Linoone, use Headbutt!" shouted Doken.

At once, the Rushing Pokémon shot forward in a great burst of speed, head before it, and immediately butted right into Pidgeotto, causing it to reel backwards.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!" commanded Matthew. However, Pidgeotto didn't listen, still recoiled from the attack that Linoone had done. "What?!"

"Pidgeotto flinched!" called Lovino from behind.

"Linoone, use Sand Attack!" shouted Doken.

"Noone!" Linoone threw some dirt right at Pidgeotto, straight at its face.

However, the attack didn't seem to affect the Bird Pokémon, whose eyes simply flashed ominously right at the Rushing Pokémon.

"What's with your Pidgeotto's eyes, man?!" demanded hunter Doken. "It looks freaky!"

"That's Keen Eye," said Lovino professionally. "A special ability that Pidgeotto can have; it prevents accuracy loss."

"Cool," Matthew nodded, looking at the Bird Pokémon. He then cleared his throat and shouted, "Quickly Pidgeotto, use Gust! Give it your all!"

"Pidgeo! Pidge! Ge, ge!" and with that, Pidgeotto began flapping its wings rapidly, producing a great wind that knocked Linoone back; also right at the cave's outer wall, and thus, knocking it out for the count.

Hunter Doken's eyes boggled as he returned his Pokémon, now defeated, "Th-that was fun!" he suddenly shouted happily, much to Matthew's and Lovino's surprise. He then stepped to the side, "Battling you was fun, so that's good enough for me. If you want to go through, go right on ahead!"

"Um, thanks?" Matthew asked uncertainly after returning Pidgeotto.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, bastard," said Lovino with a nod. He then turned to the Canadian boy, "Ready to go for it, _Mateo_?"

Matthew nodded, now looking determined, "Yes, I'm ready. Now, let's go and save Buneary!"

"Time to go kick Ace's ass!"

And with that, the pair ran into the cave, which was pretty deep inside. Surprisingly, it wasn't dark, but that was probably because of the oil-lit lanterns that were hanging around the walls of the cave. A rocky interior, there were also some pipes running through, attacked to the walls, and some oil drums were scattered throughout the cave.

There were also a bunch of trainers, too.

Already on the first floor, there was a street performer who was wearing a pink tutu and a purple top hat and holding a cane. "Yay! You're finally here!" the street performer cheered when he saw Matthew and Lovino. "This floor is my territory! I can't let you through!" however, she got defeated by Matthew easily, "Oopsie! I lost!"

"Yeah, because you suck," snorted Lovino.

"You're quite a surprise!" added the street performer. "But I'm not telling you where Master Ace is hiding."

"Chigi!" shrieked Lovino.

The pair however reached a set of stairs that were leading downward, going deeper into the cave. Coming down, they didn't really go far when they were immediately in the line of sight of a male chaser.

The chaser went up to them, "What's going on here?" he demanded. "I heard there was one intruder, but there're obviously _two _of you." However, he got defeated as well, just like the street performer. "Your Pokémon are too strong!" he then nodded. "Raising your Pokémon to those levels must have been a hard struggle. You might be our enemy, but you have my respect."

The remark actually made Matthew blush with pleasure at being praised, "Th-thank you…"

The pair continued along the way and saw another flight of stairs, this time, leading upward. They went up, but it only lead to a dead end with two trainers.

"Hahahaha!" laughed a bandana guy. "Too bad for you. You're at a dead end, Ace's not here!" He wasn't laughing anymore though once he got beaten, "S-savaged…yeah, you sure are strong. But you're no match for Ace. Hehehe…" and with that, he gave a dark chuckle.

"Whoops! Roadblock!" exclaimed a female chaser. "This is a no-through street!" however, she was beaten just like the bandana guy. "Urk! Crashed out!" she groaned. "Ace's unbeatable! You'll lose!"

Those words from both trainers made Matthew uneasy, but regardless, he and Lovino continued onward, coming back up the stairs and heading through another section, this time, catching the eye of a male rider.

"Hold it!" said the rider. "Don't think you're going anywhere when you catch my eye." When he lost, he snarled, "Grrr! My Pokémon were shut down?! My Pokémon have won a knockout challenge! You're no average trainer for beating them!"

"If I drop you here, Ace's sure to give me a reward!" grinned a male hunter. However, after he got beaten, he cried, "No! I'll be punished for this; never mind getting a reward! I'll pretend that I never saw you two. Consider yourselves lucky!"

The pair descended another flight of stairs, and ended up at an intersection where there was actually water flowing around from drain pipes. There was also a female rider there, wearing a purple hat with leopard printing on it. "Kukuku!" she cackled. "Welcome to here!" However, she cried after her defeat, "Ah no! Where is here? I actually don't know – I don't know where Ace is, either."

The pair continued along the way, and ascended another staircase nearby, which led back into another section of the cave. There was a roller boy nearby who puffed his cheeks, "Arthur's finished! It's the dawning of Ace's time!"

"Dream on, midget bastard!" snapped Lovino.

"Yeah!" agreed Matthew, kicking his butt soon afterwards.

"What have you done to my Pokémon?!" shrieked the roller boy after he lost to Matthew. "Grr…is Ace's age really going to arrive?"

"Hell no," responded Lovino. "Go back to school, kid."

Along the way, they descended another flight of stairs and back to the cavern like area with water running through. This time, a female chaser confronted them, "Are you looking for Arthur's Pokémon? Could it be beyond here, I wonder?" of course, she was beaten afterwards, to which she snapped, "Where's that Pokémon? I'll never tell you! Don't you people have any sense of direction? I bet you're having trouble getting around in this cave!"

Following the route they took though, lead to a dead end – right into a female Shade Peon. "Oh, now isn't this something?" she cooed. "This is the edge of the world. Good of you to come!" however, once she got beaten, she cried, "It was no fluke that you managed to come out here…what a wasted effort for you! There's nothing here! While you were busy wasting time, what became of that Pokémon you're after? Hohohoho!"

"Shit," growled Lovino.

"Come on, Lovino!" urged Matthew. "We have to keep moving!"

The pair continued along the way and bumped into a male rider, "I'm under orders to battle with you here. Orders must be followed!" once he got beaten, he stammered, "But…this is ridiculous! I was under orders to battle with you. Nobody said anything about not losing, so it's okay!"

"I need to score points with Ace so I can get a promotion!" declared a male hunter that was guarding a flight of stairs leading down. He screamed after he lost, "No! My bright future! You ruined all my hopes of getting a promotion…" and with that, he even sobbed.

However, Matthew and Lovino didn't stop; they descended down the stairs, and instead, found themselves at a great opening. Exchanging a glance, they both nodded and headed inside.

They also opened the door…

…where there was a brightly coloured dance floor with rumba-like music playing.

But there, Ace was standing; right at the back of the room as he watched a Shade Peon dancing on a podium. This Shade Peon however was more extravagantly dressed than the other ones that Matthew and Lovino had encountered, and was also surrounded by four Ludicolo who were dancing with him.

"What…?" Matthew began, but was cut off by Lovino.

"What the fuck is all this?!" demanded the Italian.

"About time you losers got here!" snapped Ace. "I'm so frightfully tired of waiting for you. Stop the music!"

And with that, the music stopped. As a result, the Peon standing on the podium also stopped dancing around. The Peon chuckled, "Oh, you kept me waiting for so long, I decided to work up a little perspiration! Fuhohoho, but my, you have been busy being naughty and messing up master Ace's plans!"

"Shit, what the hell _is _this?" demanded Lovino.

"Heh, it was so oh so close for everything to turn out just right," smirked Ace. "Just the way we hoped, Mirakle!"

The extravagant Peon, Ace Peon Mirakle, struck a dancing pose, "I can salvage that plan by beating you, little man. And so…there's time for one last frantic dance before the grand finale! Let the music play!"

And with that, the music started playing again; a rather rumba-like music with blaring trumpets and some maracas, as well as other instruments unknown to the pair. Ace Peon Mirakle then sent out a Ludicolo, which began dancing to the beat of the music.

"Huh? Ludicolo?" Matthew whipped out his Pokédex to take a look.

"_**Ludicolo, the Carefree Pokémon. If it hears festive music, all its muscles fill with energy. It can't help breaking out into a dance."**_

"No shit," grumbled Lovino.

"Go, Chimchar!" called Matthew as he threw out the Poké ball.

"Ludicolo, use Rain Dance!" called Mirakle as he started to dance in rhythm to the music.

Immediately, the Ludicolo began dancing around more enthusiastically and at once, it started raining inside. Ace smirked while Lovino shivered miserably. Matthew was just amazed at the weather change inside.

Regardless, the Canadian boy shouted, "Chimchar, use Shadow Rush!"

"Char! Chimchar!" and with that, the Chimp Pokémon rushed forward, engulfed in a shadowy aura, and plunged head-on right at Ludicolo.

"Ludicolo, use Astonish!" called Mirakle.

"Ludicolo, Ludicolo!" and with that, the Carefree Pokémon lunged right at Chimchar with a scary face with ominously glowing eyes and surrounded by a red aura.

Chimchar was knocked back, but Matthew took charge quickly, "Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!" the Chimp Pokémon ran forward, mouth engulfed in flames and it rushed right at Ludicolo now spinning in a ball. It struck the Carefree Pokémon, but as it came back after impact, it didn't seem to affect it much.

"Ludicolo's Grass and Water type," called Lovino. "Plus the damn Rain Dance is still in play! Fucking bastard!"

"Ack!" Matthew licked his lips as Mirakle commanded, "Ludicolo, use Pound!"

"Looks like we'll have to do this all the way," murmured Matthew. "Quickly Chimchar, use Shadow Rush!"

"Char! Chimchar!" and with that, the Chimp Pokémon recklessly rushed up again, engulfed in a shadowy aura. It did much more damage than Flame Wheel, causing Ludicolo to blow back with great force.

"Ludicolo, use Dive!" commanded Mirakle.

"Colo!" and with that, Ludicolo dived straight into some water nearby, lurking around.

"Shit! Do something quickly, _Mateo_!" yelled Lovino. "It'll be super effective if that thing hits Chimchar!"

"Uh…uh…" Matthew stammered, starting to panic. Chimchar could immediately see the nervousness in its trainer, and as a result, became panicked itself. It began digging around the ground with its claws.

All of a sudden, Chimchar was able to scramble a hole in the ground and dived right into the hole.

"What…just happened?" Matthew asked in confusion.

"…I think that was Dig," said Lovino, also unsure. "Well…_half _of it. Just go for it!"

"Go after it, Ludicolo!" called Mirakle as he struck another dancing move.

Ludicolo leapt out from the water, and ran over to the hole that Chimchar had dug into.

"Chimchar, use Dig!" cried Matthew.

"Char!" the Chimp Pokémon suddenly blasted out from the ground right behind Ludicolo and struck the Carefree Pokémon.

"Now use Shadow Rush again! Hurry!" shouted Matthew.

Chimchar complied, colliding head-on with Ludicolo and this time, knocking it out for the count.

"Interesting…" Ace smirked at the Canadian's win.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Mirakle. "But don't you think that's over yet! I have more coming your way!" and with that, he whipped out another Poké ball and threw it, revealing…

"_Another _damn Ludicolo?" Lovino asked exasperated.

Ace shrugged half-heartedly, "This'll take a while; he has four of them…"

Lovino's eyes almost popped out of their sockets from behind his sunglasses, "_Four_ of those bastards?! Chigi!"

Indeed it was, Matthew had used Chimchar again for the second Ludicolo, but that one had the ability of Rain Dish; meaning that the Rain Dance that was still in play helped it recover HP. Dig was a massive life-saver though; it prevented Chimchar from getting attacked by Dive, which was happening quite frequently.

Chimchar was able to knock out the second Ludicolo after several turns.

The third one came out, but with a different ability; Swift Swim. According to Lovino, that meant that the Ludicolo's speed increased due to the Rain Dance that was renewed by the second Ludicolo.

This one used Leech Seed on Chimchar.

Matthew switched Chimchar with Pidgeotto this time. Despite the third Ludicolo's ability of Swift Swim, Pidgeotto's speed still triumphed. The Canadian boy commanded the Bird Pokémon to use Shadow Rush, Shadow Rave and Gust randomly, but discovered eventually that Gust did much more damage, since Lovino called that it was super effective.

Pidgeotto knocked out the third Ludicolo.

The last Ludicolo didn't prove to be much of a challenge since Matthew discovered that Gust was super effective against the Carefree Pokémon army that Mirakle had in his arsenal. Pidgeotto's speed also outclassed it, meaning it could attack first, with deadly precision.

Mirakle seethed after his last Ludicolo was knocked out for the count, "Okay, fine! How about _this _one, dearie?!" and with that, he whipped out his last Poké ball and chucked it forward.

"That better not be _another _fucking Ludicolo or else I'm strangling someone!" snarled Lovino.

Much to everyone's surprise (even Ace), the last Pokémon of Ace Peon Mirakle was a Sudowoodo. Matthew looked at the Pokémon, boggled; "Okay…is that a tree?" he whipped out his Pokédex to take a look.

"_**Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokémon," **_said the Pokédex' mechanical voice. _**"Although it camouflages itself as a tree in order to avoid being attacked, its body is more like a rock than like a plant. It hates water and disappears whenever it rains."**_

"Okay, then. Pidgeotto, use Gust!" called Matthew.

Pidgeotto complied, flapping its wings rapidly; unleashing a great gale of wind towards the Imitation Pokémon.

"Sudowoodo, use Rock Slide!" called Mirakle.

Sudowoodo raised its arms up, its body glowing white, and suddenly, multiple white rings of energy appeared above and around it. All of a sudden, several large grey boulders came out of the ripples of energy and rained down right on Pidgeotto, who screeched in pain.

"Ah! Oh no!" yelped Matthew as Pidgeotto crashed to the ground, knocked out. He sighed, smiling sadly, "Pidgeotto, take a good, long rest…" he then whipped out another Poké ball, licking his lips, his violet eyes burning with a determined flame, "Okay, Mienfoo, I choose you!"

"Foo! Mienfoo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon began thrusting its fisted paws forward, looking pumped for a battle.

"A puny Pokémon and a puny trainer!" laughed Mirakle. "I'll take you down, now! Sudowoodo, use Rock Slide again!"

"Sudowoodo!" the Imitation Pokémon began glowing white again as more rings of energy flew from above, ready to drop boulders right onto Mienfoo.

"Mienfoo, quickly use Brick Break!" cried Matthew urgently.

"Foo!" and with that, Mienfoo rushed forward, swiftly dodging all of the boulders, and lashed out right at Sudowoodo, its paw glowing white, and striking it on its body.

"Woodo!" cried Sudowoodo as it was knocked back.

"Super effective, _Mateo_!" called Lovino. "_Magnifico_!"

"Sudowoodo, use Low Kick now!" shouted Mirakle.

Sudowoodo immediately rushed forward, ready to kick Mienfoo with a glowing white foot at the ready.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break! Hurry!" yelled Matthew.

At once, Mienfoo's own paw glowed white and it came in quick contact with Sudowoodo's foot. The two Pokémon were in the same position for a while, but they glared intensely at each other before getting knocked back; quite evenly.

"Sudowoodo, Low Kick again!" cried Mirakle.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" shouted Matthew.

Both Pokémon charged faster and faster, ready to strike again, knowing that this blow was more than just one hundred percent – ready to end the other.

But who would end it first?

Sudowoodo chose to kick earlier, it slid over, its foot now sticking out right at Mienfoo. The little Martial Arts Pokémon however, jumped up and after a flip in the air, struck the Imitation Pokémon right on the noggin.

"Woodo…" Sudowoodo groaned, now knocked out.

"I can't keep up with the tempo!" cried Mirakle. "Oh no, no, what a no-no!"

Ace laughed, "Impressive. Stop the music."

Mirakle seethed, glaring right at Matthew who was praising Mienfoo of a job well done, "How…how…how _dare _you! Don't you _dare _think you'll get away with your latest outrage!"

"Enough, Mirakle; you got beaten, so shut up," snapped Ace. The Peon stood down, cheeks blushing as the red-headed Shade member haughtily made his way towards Matthew, "You; you're quite skilled, I'm impressed actually. Mirakle is the best out of my Peons, so it's surprising that you beat him."

"What do you want?" questioned Matthew as he held Mienfoo close. The little Martial Arts Pokémon only glared up at the redheaded boy.

"Nothing really," shrugged Ace. "I _would _battle with you now, but I think it'd be best to do that later; my Shadow Pokémon isn't complete yet. However, I think it will be soon once Zoey's finished up with where she is. Hmph, we'll take our leave for now; but the next time you try and stop us, I think it'd be best to watch yourself. You might get _crushed_."

The redhead cleared his throat and commanded sharply, "Mirakle! Let's go."

Once Ace exited the cave, Mirakle seethed at Matthew, "My master Ace will take great pleasure in one day kicking you about with his elegance and better skills! The Shadow Pokémon plan is nowhere from giving up! Okay! Escape! Wait for me, master Ace!"

And with that, Mirakle dashed after the redheaded Shade member.

"Whatever you say, bitch," snorted Lovino.

Suddenly, there was the loud sound of a Pokémon calling from behind a room at the back.

"Lovino, listen," Matthew said softly. "I think those cries came from behind that door."

The pair immediately ran to the back room. They opened the door and saw a Buneary looking up at them curiously. It was also holding a shiny file in its paws; that looked exactly like the two that they found earlier.

"Hey, it's Buneary," exclaimed Matthew. "Holding a file?"

"Let's see," Lovino took the file from the Rabbit Pokémon, which was still gazing up at them interestedly. "Eduard File P," read the Italian as he flipped the file open. "Purification of Pokémon – Shadow Pokémon are fighting machines created by closing the door to their hearts. The process of restoring a Shadow Pokémon back to its original state is known as purification."

"Purification," repeated Matthew as he gazed at the Poké balls that contained the Shadow Pokémon. He fondly stroked Kumajirou's own Poké ball.

"Exactly how a Shadow Pokémon is purified is unclear, but there appears to be several causes," continued Lovino. "We must eliminate reaction to these factors, and create Shadow Pokémon that will never revert back to their original, purified forms. We are, however, already working on a Shadow Pokémon that will never be able to be purified. Shadow Pokémon Lab Chief Eduard." Lovino exhaled, "Fuck…this is bad…"

Matthew nodded, looking horrified, "A Shadow Pokémon…that will _never _be purified?"

"Buneary!" a voice suddenly shouted.

Matthew and Lovino whipped around to see Arthur run in with Antonio. Once the two men reached the pair, the British man clutched at his knees, gasping for breath while Antonio simply looked at him.

"You alright, _Arturo_?" the Spaniard asked.

"I'm…fine…!" panted Arthur. However, he immediately brightened when he saw Buneary. "You're all safe! Oh! Buneary!"

With that, the Rabbit Pokémon began rejoicing, bouncing up and down and then straight into Arthur's arms. The British man gave a jolly laugh as he began cuddling it – shocking both Matthew and Lovino; he just looked far too serious to be capable of such an expression.

"Ace got away," Matthew reported after a while. "But things should be back to normal here."

"The little bastard didn't even fight _Mateo_ himself," snorted Lovino. "He got one of his lackeys to do it."

"_Arturo_…" breathed Antonio as he rubbed the back of his head, feeling ashamed. "I don't know what to say…"

Arthur waved a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, Anthony. We're all unharmed; that's good enough. Even that twit Ace has been driven out, courtesy of these two here."

"Eary! Buneary! Bun!" Buneary began tugging on Arthur's sweater vest as it patted at its stomach.

Arthur laughed, "What's that, Buneary? Feeling hungry out of relief? Okay! Let's all get out of this bloody place and quick!"

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

Back in Arthur's house, the British man was sitting back at his desk with a new pot of tea boiling. Antonio was standing nearby his side while Lovino and Matthew were standing across from Arthur. Buneary was munching on a rather burnt-looking scone nearby.

"We owe you lads a great deal," said Arthur earnestly. "Sincerely, thank you. I mean, if you were even a bit later, dear Buneary could have been made into a Shadow Pokémon!" he shuddered. "That would have been horrible."

"I'm glad everything's fine," smiled Raksha from near the bookshelves. "Mr. Arthur and Buneary, too!"

"I intend to investigate the organization behind Ace; Shade," said Arthur with a more serious look on his face. "As soon as I discover anything, I will be in touch…which, reminds me; I will need your P*DA number."

And with that, Matthew exchanged P*DA numbers with Arthur.

"Excellent," said Arthur. "I will be in touch as soon as we discover anything."

The pair nodded and after some tea (no scones, they looked far too inedible for their liking), they left the building and began their way out of Feral Town.

"Hold on!" shouted a familiar voice. "Matthew! Romano! _Mi amigos_, wait up!"

"Ah shit…" Lovino cursed when he saw Antonio running straight towards them. "What the hell does he want this time?"

"Ahh…" Antonio exhaled deeply. "The town's air seems less dirty now. But not all is well; I guess that those Shadow Pokémon…things…are still around somewhere."

Matthew nodded, "We know; that's why we're trying to figure out where to go next."

"You're obviously a trainer," Antonio put his hands on his hips as he eyed Matthew. "Can I ask you – how many badges have you got so far? Surely, you've got quite a number to have taken down those bad people."

Here, Matthew furiously flushed, "Um no…actually, I have only one…"

Antonio was surprised, "Really? Well…I guess battling you is out of the question, then…"

"Huh? Why do you say that?" questioned Matthew.

Antonio grinned, "Oh, you'll see." He winked as well.

"We don't have time for your shit!" snapped Lovino, looking irritated. "Come on, _Mateo_! Let's go already! We'll head over to the next gym!"

"Do you even know where the next gym is, _mi amigo_?" questioned Antonio.

Lovino snarled, "Yeah, I fucking do! It's in Vice Town!"

"_Si_! _Si_!" Antonio nodded with a smile. "And do you know how to get there?"

"It's the town that's past here," answered Lovino, still looking irritated. "We don't need your help, so piss off, already, bastard!"

"P-please!" Matthew pleaded as he gripped Lovino's arm. "L-Romano! Calm down!"

Antonio sighed heavily," You know…you really _do _remind me of my dear Lovi…"

"Huh?" Matthew's violet eyes boggled. _'Dear Lovi?'_

Lovino said nothing as Antonio gave a merry laugh, "Nothing! It's nothing! Well, I hope to be seeing you two soon! Good luck on your next gym battle, Matthew! And goodbye to you too, Romano!" and with that, he winked and walked back into town; towards Arthur's house.

"Lovino?" Matthew asked softly once the Spaniard was out of sight and earshot. "Are you okay?"

"…fine…" murmured the Italian. "Let's just go to Vice Town and get your badge already…"

"Okay…" Matthew nodded and silently followed him, worried for the Italian. _'His life sounds so complicated…it may be so, but it doesn't matter; I'll stay friends with him and be there for him when he needs it.'_

* * *

_Good on you, Mattie for being a caring friend to Lovino! Hahaha, anyway, back to Matthew's badge collecting! Anyone wanna take a guess on who the next gym leader is? Here's a clue: _sea.

_Anyway, thoughts and opinions, guys? They make me a happy panda! XD have an awesome day! :DDD_


	12. The Second Gym! Matthew VS Peter!

_Greetings guys, it's just me again! Well, I haven't updated for a while, but I'm still juggling around, so I'm sorry for delaying the update to this._

_On another note, I recently got Pokemon Black 2, which is proving to be quite awesome! I'm on the fourth gym against Elesa, but she'll be a bitch to beat since my party sucks with Electric Pokemon. _

_Anyway, BIG thanks goes to **PastaSymmetrylover **for the follow, fave AND review as well as **Mew I is Dinosaur **for the fave, follow AND review as well. More BIG thanks goes to **hetaliaforever123**, **CookiiRoxzXD00**, **TruDivination **and **AliasAlliance** for the reviews!_

_**AlliasAlliance:** Thank you very much, you've been very kind to me in all of your reviews! Yeah, I only skip battles that have nothing to do at all with the plot. Wait and see what happens to see if Shadow Lugia is indeed the Shadow Pokemon that can never be purified! Hehe, we all know that Lovino's just playing tsundere around Antonio. You put up an interesting question about how Lovino and Antonio met - that will come later on, though, but I'm talking later badge collecting half later on. Alfred WILL appear, and I think it'll be hilarious too since he and Mattie are so different, and we all know that Lovino doesn't seem to like loud and really forward people. Yup, RomaCan friendship is a head-canon of mine since Spain and France are both friends and therefore must've at least introduce the pair before when they were children, and both Matthew and Lovino are also overshadowed by a brother. I'm sorry for making you wait! DX_

_**TruDivination:** Hi there, thanks for loving this story, and thank you for reviewing! I'll say it right now that Antonio isn't the Pokemon Champion; someone else is, but I will respond that Antonio is strong. Tune in to see if it's Spamano or not.  
_

___**CookiiRoxzXD00: **Yup! Mattie will ALWAYS be awesome in my book! XD_

___**hetaliaforever123:** Haha, yeah that was what I was aiming for; Buneary = Flying Mint Bunny, though Arthur will also have a Lopunny that will be nicknamed Minty. Mirakle is girly, so it's not a surprise you thought he was a chick (China, you're a chick?! *shot*). Don't worry about being late! I'm just glad you're still there! Best of luck to you and your fic as well! :D  
_

___**PastaSymmetrylover: **Hehe, yup, Sealand/Peter is the second gym leader! One day, Sealand will be taken seriously by England. Haha!  
_

___**Mew I is Dinosaur:** As mentioned in the previous comment to the previous reviewer, yes - Sealand/Peter is the second gym leader. Thanks for the review!_

___**Disclaimer:**I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

___You British jerk of jerks!_

* * *

"And we're here!" Lovino announced, stopping in his tracks and lowering the Town Map.

Matthew followed suit, his violet eyes lightning up upon the beautiful city and the golden beach nearby. "This is Vice Town?" seeing his Italian partner nod, the Canadian boy beamed; since he hadn't been at a beach in ages. "It's so beautiful!"

"Che, yeah it sure is," smirked Lovino. "Now, shall we go in and continue with your badge collecting?"

Matthew nodded, his stomach twisting around, but at the same time, he was feeling excited, "Yeah, I'm ready!"

The pair began their search around the lovely, beach city, marveling at the buildings, the cool feeling of the summer breeze flying by, the vague scent of salt from the ocean, and the relaxed, laidback hustle and bustle.

Soon, they ended up actually relaxing for a bit right at the beach, lying on the golden sand and gazing out at the blue ocean. In the background, boats would sail on by and honk occasionally while people also laughed and frolicked around as they played.

It was so relaxing.

However, after their relaxation, Matthew was feeling better than before, and so, the pair then continued on their way again - looking for the gym. Asking a few people on the way, the pair finally made it to the gym at last.

The Gym was a great dome with tinted glass windows with white and silver metalwork providing as the building's structure. There was also what appeared to be three raindrops outlined with gold at the very top, consisting as the sign to indicate the status of its occupant.

The pair also checked the sign nearby the Pokémon Gym. Matthew read it aloud, "Vice Town Pokémon Gym. Leader, Peter. The Hyper Child of the Ocean!"

Lovino arched an eyebrow here, "First time I heard of this leader, actually…"

"Really?" Matthew stood up straight again to face the Italian. "Do you think he's new?"

"The hell am I supposed to know?" Lovino shrugged. "Doesn't matter if he's new or not; you're still kicking this bastard's ass to get the badge; that's how all Gyms work, after all." The Italian looked the Gym up and down again, scowling slightly, "Well, we're here already," he said coolly. "The Vice Town City Gym. That was quite quick, eh _Mateo_?"

Matthew nodded as he licked his lips, "Yeah, I know…but…I'm ready." He patted the Poké balls on his belt and nodded, looking absolutely determined. "I'm ready for my second badge! Let's go, Lovino!"

Once the doors slid open, the pair saw a reception table at the front. There was also a man fixing paperwork at the front table.

This man was wearing a white beret atop short, blonde hair, and also had warm, violet eyes. He was humming a merry tune to himself while he was continuing with his work as a Lilipup stood close to his feet, its tail wagging to and fro.

After a moment, the man perked up, realizing that there was someone inside and gave a bright beam as he welcomed the pair. "Hello to you, two! Are you both here to make a Gym challenge?"

"Are you Peter?" questioned Matthew as the man came closer. The Canadian boy could hear a distinct accent line the other blonde's voice, but he wasn't so sure what sort of an accent it was. It sounded…northern European?

"Oh no! I'm not the Gym Leader," the beret-wearing blonde gave a tinkling laugh as he shook his head. "No, my name is Tino."

"Tino, huh?" Lovino quirked an eyebrow. "Where the hell's the Gym Leader?"

"He's out at the back," said Tino as he looked pointedly at a pair of huge doors nearby. "He's been itching for a good battle, though I'm afraid he's been becoming a bit too...overconfident, recently…" here, Tino sighed as he returned to fixing paperwork, "Since Berwald left to do his duties, Peter has been becoming more and more bent on going to Feral Town…"

"Really now?" asked Matthew, surprised and now really nervous; this leader sounded really tough.

"You look quite strong," Tino remarked as he eyed Matthew up and down. "I have a request; will you please hear me out?"

"What the hell do you want, bastard?" asked Lovino warily as he stood closer to Matthew.

Tino was still slightly taken aback at the Italian's rough manner, but still pressed on, "I want you to beat Peter in a battle."

"Well no shit," said Lovino sharply. "What do you think _Mateo's_ doing in here in the first place? Have a siesta?"

"A siesta?" echoed Tino, looking curious. "What's that?" he shook his head though, getting off topic, "Anyway, he's been beating a lot of people recently, which is something I'm quite proud of, but at the same time, he thinks now he's going on top of the world – he's thinking of challenging a…_very _strong trainer."

"A very strong trainer?" Matthew was very interested with the whole conversation with Tino. "Who might that be?"

"His older brother," responded Tino. "His older brother is a very strong trainer; one of the best I've ever seen; he and Berwald can get into a good deadlock."

"Who the hell is Berwald?" inquired Lovino. "You keep going off topic!"

When asked who Berwald was, here, Tino began to flush a furious shade of cherry red as he stammered, "Oh, uh…! He's my partner…"

Here, Lovino and Matthew stopped and stared at the beret-wearing blonde. "Partner?" they both echoed.

"Yes, partner," answered Tino. He cleared his throat and continued, "Well, that's beside the point! Anyway, I know that if Peter tries to challenge his older brother, his Pokémon will get severely hurt – though he thinks he's ready, Berwald, my partner, and our friends know fully well that he's not; but he believes that he could take him down without properly preparing himself or even just to inspect his opponent's Pokemon. Please, I really need you to beat him, before he decides to do something so rash as that – he and his Pokémon will just get really hurt…"

"You really care for Peter, do you?" asked Matthew. "What is your relationship with him?"

Here again, Tino's face exploded into a very vivid scarlet. He stammered, "A-Ah! He's…he's a lot like my own little brother! Berwald adopted him, and...yeah! Well…good luck!" and with that, the beret-wearing blonde suddenly ran out of the building with the Lilipup barking in surprise as it bounded after him.

"What the hell was that all about?" demanded Lovino. "That beret bastard was strange…"

"It kind of _was _odd," admitted Matthew. "But it sounds like he's really worried for Peter's safety and wellbeing against his older brother." Here, the Canadian boy licked his lips, "His brother sounds _really_ strong…I wonder if Peter's that strong, too…"

"You'll kick his ass," reassured Lovino as he rolled his eyes and began shoving Matthew towards the two doors. "Now, let's go already! Hurry the fuck up!"

"S-sorry!" apologized Matthew as he picked his own feet up and stood before the doors. He took a deep breath, his stomach still twisting over, and finally pushed the doors open.

What lay before the pair was a huge swimming pool about fifty meters in length and twenty meters in width. The depth became increasingly deep, but Matthew and Lovino found themselves near the shallower end just be seeing a family standing there.

"What the hell are we supposed to do here?" questioned Lovino. "Where the fuck is the Gym Leader?"

Before Matthew could respond, a male swimmer gestured to the both of them to come over. It turns out, he was at the bottom of a diving board. When they came over, the male swimmer asked, "Are you challengers?"

"Hell no am I a challenger," answered Lovino. He pointed at Matthew, "_He's _the challenger."

"Well, cool, then!" piped up the male swimmer. He then sighed, "Ahhh, don't you think it's perfect? A Gym where there's a pool inside? I certainly think so!" and with that, he and Matthew engaged in a Pokémon battle. Eventually, he lost, providing as a good warm-up for the Canadian boy. Once he lost, the male swimmer sighed, "I was so busy swimming, I forgot to train my Pokémon…" he then gestured with his thumb at the ladder of the diving platform, "To reach Peter, just climb to the next level. Defeat the trainer there, and you can go reach Peter! Good luck!"

"Thanks," said Matthew sincerely as he and Lovino began to ascend the diving board.

Once the pair reached the next diving platform, they saw a picnicker there, observing the pool. She turned around and noticed the pair, "What? You? I'm more than good enough for you! Peter won't have to be bothered!" however, she was proven wrong when Matthew promptly beat her. She cried, "You overwhelmed me!" afterwards, she sighed and went back to gazing out at the pool and at a group of men who were laughing and splashing around, "This place is good for observation…"

"_Tu sei strano_," said Lovino as he and Matthew ascended to the final diving platform. Matthew was really nervous at this point; what kind of a person was this Gym Leader? Judging from the pool and the slogan, it was obvious this trainer wielded Water-type Pokémon. What sort of Pokémon will the Canadian boy be facing?

When they reached the top, they were surprised to see a child there.

This child looked no older than twelve and had sandy blonde hair, as well as blue eyes and a thick set of eyebrows very similar to that of a familiar Buneary-owning British gentleman. The lad was wearing a white sailor shirt with a blue collar, a blue neck tie, a matching hat, blue capris pants and white, knee-high socks as well as black, Mary-Jane style shoes.

Right now, the child was beaming at the pair, "Hello there, chaps! You're new faces! Are you here to challenge me?"

"Hold on, challenge you?" Matthew asked, looking totally surprised; this kid was the Gym Leader? By the way Tino was describing him earlier, he sounded more ferocious than he looked…

"You're fucking kidding me!" said an incredulous Lovino. "There's no way in hell that _you're_ the Gym Leader, kid!"

"I am too, the Gym Leader!" protested the boy, looking annoyed. "And I'm a really good one at that! I haven't lost for several months now!" here, he put his hands on his hips. "Only trainers who have a policy about Pokémon can become total pros! How about you?"

"What about me?" asked Matthew, deciding to go along with it; he had a soft spot towards kids.

"What's your approach when you catch and train Pokémon?" questioned the sailor boy. "Mine? Well, it's an all-out offensive with Water Pokémon!"

"You're not the only leader who uses Water-types, either," Lovino rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you can't go on par with that guy."

"I can so!" huffed the little sailor boy. "Just because he's a step up from me in the League Rules, doesn't mean he's better!"

"It kinda does, kid."

"Are you even here to battle?" the boy looked at Matthew for an answer. "What's the point of him even being here?"

The Canadian boy shrugged, "Support?"

"Woohoo…" Lovino said tonelessly as he raised a feeble fist. "Yay…"

"Anyway, what's your name, sir?" Peter questioned Matthew as he ignored Lovino.

"Oh! I'm Matthew," said the Canadian boy pleasantly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Jolly good to meet you, too!" smiled Peter as he then saluted. "I, Peter Kirkland, the world-famous Water trainer is your host! Just to warn you though, I'm gonna beat you like I beat all the other trainers from before! Then I can show that jerk a lesson and he'll _have _to bow down to my skills! I'm warning you! My Pokémon are tough!"

And with that, the boy whipped out a Poké ball and threw it. Once the light disappeared, it revealed a Starmie.

"Whoa! Kid's got a Starmie!" remarked Lovino in surprise. "Not too shabby…"

"Starmie, huh?" Matthew pulled out his Pokédex to take a better look.

"_**Starmie, the Mysterious Pokémon,"**_ said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. _**"At the center of its body is a red core, which sends mysterious radio signals into the night sky."**_

"Alright then," Matthew licked his lips as he looked at his Poké balls. He then took one and threw it out, "Go! Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon gave a war-cry as it was released from its Poké ball.

"Ready when you are!" called Peter, looking all fired up.

Before Matthew could respond, a loud voice cried, "Wait! Wait! Wait!"

Everyone turned around to see Tino's head pop up from the platform below as he climbed the ladder. The beret-wearing blonde huffed and panted as he finally reached the top. "S-sorry! But…I really wanted to watch the battle!"

Peter laughed, "Don't worry, mama Tino! We haven't started yet!"

Matthew arched an eyebrow, _'_Mama _Tino?'_

Lovino snickered at Tino's nickname while the blonde himself flushed furiously, but nonetheless, just smiled sheepishly and stood next to the Italian.

"This match is a two-on-two Pokémon battle!" declared the referee. "No substitutions or time limit. The trainer to have all of their Pokémon knocked out lose. Now, let the battle begin!"

"Let's go! Starmie, use Water Pulse!" shouted Peter with a smirk.

Starmie gave its cry as it shot out a pulse of water right at Pidgeotto, striking it right at its chest. Pidgeotto gave a shriek as it reeled backwards a bit, but regained its composure, shaking its head and flapping its wings some more.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" called Matthew.

"Pidge, ge, ge, ge!" the Bird Pokémon then started flapping its wings in a rapid motion so that great gales of gust were blown right at Starmie, who looked to be quite affected by the technique.

"Starmie, quickly! Rapid Spin!" cried Peter.

Straight away, Starmie obeyed; suddenly spinning rapidly straight into Pidgeotto. Again, the Bird Pokémon was knocked back, but it regained its composure again, glaring this time at its opponent.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust again!" yelled Matthew.

"Just Rapid Spin through it, Starmie!" shouted Peter, looking positive.

Sure enough, Starmie was able to spin itself right through the Gust. However, this time, Pidgeotto seemed more prepared; it whacked Starmie with its wing when the Mysterious Pokémon came close to hitting it, sending it to the pool nearby.

That didn't faze Starmie though, and it simply swam underneath the water's edge while Pidgeotto fixated its sharp glare right at the pool, observing the Mysterious Pokémon's movements carefully.

"Starmie, use Water Pulse, full power!" called Peter.

Starmie, sure enough, then shot out of the pool and used the said move; emitting water pulses right at Pidgeotto.

"Dodge it Pidgeotto!" shouted Matthew urgently. "Quickly!"

Sure enough, Pidgeotto complied, but at the same time, it seemed to also be getting faster and faster in speed. It became so fast, that it suddenly barged straight into Starmie, sending it backwards.

"Lovino," Matthew breathed. "Was that…?"

"Quick Attack!" responded the Italian with a smirk. "That was Quick Attack, alright…"

"Jolly good!" Peter beamed. "It'll make things even more interesting! I'm still obviously not backing down! Now Starmie, use Swift!"

With that, star-shaped energy beams were released from Starmie's center core as the Mysterious Pokémon itself began rapidly spinning.

"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" yelled Matthew.

Pidgeotto immediately gained speed as its wings tucked in a little bit. With the attack, it was able to smash through the Swift and strike Starmie straight at the middle. The Mysterious Pokémon was blown back, still spinning, but that was when Peter took charge again.

"Starmie, Rapid Spin!" the boy shouted.

Starmie complied, using the force from getting attacked by Pidgeotto to ricochet right back at the Bird Pokémon.

"Quick Attack to dodge!" cried Matthew hurriedly.

"Pidge!" the Bird Pokémon twirled around and flew faster forward, eventually striking Starmie straight into a wall nearby.

"That must hurt," noted Tino.

"No shit!" exclaimed Lovino.

The referee came closer and saw Pidgeotto fly away from the wall while Starmie sunk down, drooping, and its core was growing darker in colour and flickered, making a noise.

"Oh no!" cried Peter. "Starmie's energy has gone down!"

"Starmie is unable to battle," announced the referee. "Pidgeotto is the winner!"

"Good job, Pidgeotto!" Matthew praised his Pokémon. The Bird Pokémon simply nodded while Peter returned his now knocked out Pokémon.

"That was really good, Starmie," said Peter. "You take a long rest." He then tried to give Matthew a serious, intimidating look, which Lovino thought was failing miserably because though he was quite skillful, the Italian still thought of Peter as nothing more than a child. "You're good, Matthew; I'll admit it, but you think you've still won? I'll still be the winner! Go, Marshtomp!"

Tino sighed as he solemnly watched the child take out his last Poké ball and chuck it. Once the light disappeared, out popped the Mudfish Pokémon. "Marsh! Marsh!" it cried.

Matthew looked at it in awe; they weren't easy to obtain actually, "Cool! A Marshtomp!"

"_**Marshtomp, the Mudfish Pokémon, and the evolved form of Mudkip," **_said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. _**"Its body is enclosed in a membrane allowing it to live on land. Its lower body is well developed, so it is capable of walking on two legs."**_

"Pidgeotto, return!" called Matthew as he recalled the Bird Pokémon. He then pulled out another Poké ball and threw it, "Go, Mienfoo!"

"Foo! Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon began punching its paws, ready for a fight.

"Here we go! Marshtomp, use Water Pulse!" shouted Peter.

Just like Starmie, Marshtomp also unleashed watery pulses straight at Mienfoo, who picked its paws up to defend itself from getting too much damage. It was still knocked back a good amount though.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" called Matthew.

Mienfoo's paws began glowing white as it then dashed forward and struck at Marshtomp with the said technique. However, the Mudfish Pokémon didn't seem fazed at all by the Martial Arts Pokémon's attack and simply raised its own paws to defend itself from too much damage.

Matthew grit his teeth slightly as he called, "Now use Swift!"

Mienfoo then unleashed the starry-shaped energy beams right at its target.

"Marshtomp, use Water Pulse to knock it right back!" commanded Peter.

"Marshtomp!" the Mudfish Pokémon sprayed out another huge Water Pulse and it smashed right through Swift, knocking into Mienfoo and blowing it back. Mienfoo quickly lowered its body to regain itself as it panted, glaring at Marshtomp.

Matthew grit his teeth, getting nervous and a bit panicky, but kept his wits as he ordered, "Mienfoo, use Brick Break again!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo dashed forward with its paws glowing white again.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb!" shouted Peter.

"Huh?" Matthew then grew alarmed when Marshtomp reared back its head and fired globs of mud straight at Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokémon's eyes widened as it got sprayed right at the face and the body, knocking it back. Mienfoo then began rubbing at its eyes; some of the mud landing there. "Mienfoo! Are you alright?!"

However, Peter took charge quickly, "Let's finish them off! Marshtomp, use Tackle!"

And with that, Marshtomp ran forward and charged right into Mienfoo, knocking it backwards while giving a loud battle cry. The Martial Arts Pokémon was then knocked back and landed in a heap.

"No! Mienfoo!" cried Matthew, seeing the Pokémon down.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "Marshtomp is the winner!"

Matthew sighed as he returned Mienfoo back into its Poké ball, "Just take a well-deserved long rest, Mienfoo…" He exhaled as he gazed across at Peter, _'He's stronger than he looks, but that doesn't mean he's going to win this…'_ the Canadian boy pulled out Pidgeotto's Poké ball again and threw it, unleashing the Bird Pokémon, "Back to you, Pidgeotto!"

"This is the deciding match," breathed Tino. "They're both only on one Pokémon left!"

"_Mateo_," murmured Lovino. "I know you can kick this kid's ass…"

"Marshtomp, use Mud Bomb, now!" called Peter, feeling extremely confident.

The Mudfish Pokémon unleashed the move straight at Pidgeotto, but the Bird Pokémon flew up a bit more, so the technique didn't hit.

"Peter!" spoke up Tino. "Don't forget that Ground-type moves won't affect Flying-type Pokémon!"

"You've got an advantage, _Mateo_!" shouted Lovino. "You can do it!"

Peter growled, "How could I have forgotten?! Ugh, well that doesn't matter! This is it! I'm never giving up!"

"Neither am I! Now, Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" commanded Matthew.

"Pidgeo!" and with that, the Bird Pokémon tucked its wings in a bit and flew faster, slamming right into Marshtomp and knocking it back.

"Marshtomp, just use Water Pulse!" cried Peter.

"Marshtomp!" the Mudfish Pokémon complied, sending out the commanded technique.

Two turns in, both Pokémon looked evenly matched; both determined and nowhere near giving up for their trainer. It could've been anyone's game right there, right now, despite the advantage that Matthew and Pidgeotto had.

That was until Peter called, "Marshtomp! Quickly use Water Pulse in full power!"

Marshtomp complied by unleashing the technique again, however, Matthew then called, "No you don't! Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack to get it! Full power and full speed!"

Pidgeotto complied as it then burst forth in a much greater speed; going straight through the Water Pulse, and slamming right into Marshtomp. The Mudfish Pokémon landed straight into the pool while Pidgeotto quickly curved up before it could land in as well.

Everyone watched the pool's surface closely to see what had happened to Marshtomp when they could saw it float up on its back.

The Pokémon was seeing circles.

"The match is over!" announced the referee. "Marshtomp is unable to battle! Pidgeotto is the winner! The challenger, Matthew Williams of Tatserr Town is the winner!"

Matthew was still somewhat dazed as to what happened, but soon, a big beam spread out across his face, "I won! I won! Lovino! I won it!"

The Italian smirked, but he clutched at his chest though, "Never doubted you for a second, _Mateo_."

Peter was shocked, "Hey! What, I lost?! Ugh…" he returned and thanked Marshtomp nonetheless. "Now how am I supposed to battle that British jerk?"

Tino approached the younger boy and put his hands on his shoulders, leaning down a bit, "Peter…"

"Mama Tino?" Peter asked, a little confused.

Tino sighed and shook his head, "We all told you that you weren't ready to fight your brother yet, but you didn't listen. We admire how determined you are, but you should always also be cautious and know your time."

Peter's eyes widened slightly, but he listened closely as Tino continued, "Berwald and I knew that your Pokémon and ultimately, you yourself would get hurt if you fought your brother now. We didn't let you go to Feral Town to see him, because we didn't want you or your Pokémon to get hurt." The beret-wearing blonde then heaved a sigh, "I'm so sorry things didn't turn out how you wanted, Peter."

Peter shook his head, "No, mama Tino…I'm sorry if I was being such an overconfident jerk…I must've been really annoying to you and papa Berwald."

Tino smiled as he shook his head, "Not at all, Peter. We love you; you could never be annoying to us."

Here, the two embraced while Matthew and Lovino watched. The Canadian boy smiled, remembering how his own mother used to hug him tightly like that while Lovino watched in silence. The Italian narrowed his eyes as he could see; instead of Tino and Peter, he saw himself and Feliciano.

Feliciano was even crying as well, while Lovino simply, yet awkwardly, wrapped him into a hug as a means of comfort. Needless to say, the younger Italian was instantly cheered up and squeezed Lovino tightly.

Lovino was snapped out of his thoughts when Peter piped up to Matthew, "I'll admit it; you're really good! You're quite skillful! So, here you go; it's the Rain Badge!"

"Thank you," Matthew's smile grew even wider when he took the badge from Peter. He then cheered, "I have my second badge! The Rain Badge!"

Lovino smirked, "Good on you, bastard."

Tino smiled as Peter explained, "The Rain Badge will allow you to use Flash outside of battles! You can use it whenever you go through a dark cave! Wait! Here!" he began rummaging in his pockets, "You can also have my favourite TM!"

And with that, he handed a blue disc over to the pair. Lovino took the disc and inspected it, "TM03," said the Italian to his Canadian partner.

"TM03 teaches Water Pulse!" Peter said. "Use it on aquatic Pokémon!"

"Thank you very much!" Matthew smiled. "Really, thank you!"

"I should be the one thanking you!" called Tino as he held onto Peter. He then gave a disc to them as well, but it was bigger, "Thank you, and please take this!"

"What is it, beret bastard?" questioned Lovino as he took it.

"It's HM03 Flash," smiled Tino in response. "Since you've won Peter's badge, you can now use this move properly. Use it to light up any dark places. For example; caves."

"Thank you!" said Matthew as he and Lovino began to leave the gym. "Goodbye!"

"_Ciao_, beret bastard," said Lovino as he gave a curt nod.

The pair left the gym after waving goodbye to Tino and Peter, and eventually went back to the Pokémon center to heal up Matthew's Pokémon since poor Mienfoo was knocked out and Pidgeotto itself was exhausted. The pair stayed in a rented room as well to discuss what to do next.

"So, I have my second badge now," murmured Matthew as he gazed at it proudly. He then faced Lovino, "What should we do now?"

Lovino rubbed his chin, "Looks like those Shade bastards aren't attacking with their Shadow Pokémon here. No sign of an attack or reports of missing Pokémon, either…hmm…"

After some thought, the Italian then shook his head, "I think it's best to just head on over to the next gym and for you to get the next badge. It's good to get stronger just in case those assholes try and pull a fast one on us."

"Yeah, I agree," Matthew nodded. "So, what's the next gym, then?"

"It's Liánhuāhana City," responded Lovino. He then opened the Town Map and inspected it, but soon groaned, "Oh shit…"

"What's wrong, Lovino?" Matthew asked in concern.

"It's a fucking long way from here!" complained the Italian. "We'd have to go through a damn cave, _then _a hill! Chigi!"

"We'll make it, I'm sure," reassured Matthew as he patted Lovino's shoulder. "At least we have the HM Flash with us now."

Lovino snorted, "Cheh, whatever, bastard…"

* * *

_And here ends the chapter! I'm thinking of making some chapters be Pokemon episodes from the original series - I'm thinking of fitting in a few of those in this story, but only expect ones from Kanto-Johto (I'm not a big fan of the new Pokemon anime). I might accept some suggestions of what episodes to feature, but for now, that's still somewhat of a thought._

_Anyway, the next gym is going to be in chapter 14, but this one will be...kinda different__. Here's also another clue, if anyone's interested in trying to solve who the leaders are: Asian invasion. _

_Thoughts and opinions? Have an awesome day! :DDD_


	13. Asian Invasion!

_Hello guys - just me again! Anyway, I'm sorry for not updating for a while, but I think this'll be a weekly updater. Anyway, the reason why I was so busy was because I now have a new DeviantArt account! :DDD_

_Well, anyway, back to business! I decided to just put the next part; being Matthew's Gym challenge to the next city, because I can't think of a proper Kanto/Johto episode to use where Mattie and Lovi would be in a cave - since they all involve Team Rocket, who aren't in this fic at all...TT_TT. Suggestions are welcome. :)_

_So, BIG thanks go to **Mew I is Dinosaur **for the follow AND the review, and to **Lilypad the Fourth**, **AliasAlliance**, **RippedSenDen**, **CookiiRoxzXD00 **and **hetaliaforever123 **for the reviews! :D_

_**Lilypad the Fourth:** Swimming's really great! I used to swim, but that was when I was starting high school (12-13) XD. That's pretty awesome timing! Heh, I was incredulous of Sealand when I first saw him, but he grew on me really quickly - he_ is _a silly little guy. I loved Johto so much, too; it was a bit disappointing that Crystal wasn't remade, bu SoulSilver and HeartGold were pretty good in my opinion. As for your guesses...well, read and find out! ;)_

_**AliasAlliance: **Have more faith in Mattie! He's a determined guy! XD Yup, the brother that Peter wants to beat so badly_ is _Arthur (I won't say what Arthur's status as a trainer is though). Nah, it's cool if your review is short; I'm really flattered and honoured that you're one of the readers who do so for every chapter! That really means so much to me! :D I truly appreciate it!_

_**RippedSenDen:** About time you got a freaking account here! Yeah, I kept my end of the bargain, too. ^^; anyway, put something up already! Maybe your Canada as Cinderella story or the one with Prussia being the High School Detective! Yeah, Lovino is just playing tsundere to Antonio - it's so obvious. Hehe, I couldn't help but put Tino in obviously - he's like Peter's mama._

_**CookiiRoxzXD00: **Lovino's just that sort of a character! But despite that, he's actually deeper than he seems, in my opinion. Thank you very much! :D_

_**hetaliaforever123: **YES! Asian invasion FTW! Anyway, Peter was Bugsy in your fic, right? Hehe, anyway, wow...that's a lot of Asians...just read to find out the identity of the Gym!_

_**Mew I is Dinosaur:** Yeah, I know - I want there to be a game for DS or Wii that follows in the same outline as Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD (snagging FTW!). Yeah, I miss the original anime of the 1990's...TT_TT._

_I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

_ASIAN INVASION!_

* * *

The pair walked on, after Matthew's win against Peter and obtaining the Rain Badge, they rested for a whole day in Vice Town before going to the Ward's Cave in order to get to their next destination, which was Liánhuāhana City, so they could obtain Matthew's next badge.

The pair stood before a great cave that was underneath a green cliff that stood close to the sea; its opening was a dark and gaping hole.

"So...this leads to Liánhuāhana City?" Matthew asked as he gazed up at the cave.

"Yeah..." Lovino said as he stared at the cave before them. He inwardly shuddered; he hated going into caves. "Well, we're not getting any fucking younger. Come on, bastard..."

Matthew nodded, "Okay..."

And so, that was how the Canadian boy and the Italian man ended up wandering around in Ward's Cave. They were walking, their footsteps echoing the progressively great expanse of the huge cave. However, the further into the cave that Matthew and Lovino scoured, the darker it became, until the cave was starting to become pitch-black.

"Shit..." cursed Lovino. He yanked out HM Flash from the bag and held it up. "_Mateo, _teach Flash to one of your Pokémon, so we can find our way in this damn place..."

Matthew nodded and awkwardly took the white disk. He stared at its smooth, clear surface for a little while, "Um...how do I teach them, Lovino?"

The Italian sighed and rolled his eyes, but took the disk from Matthew, "Give me your Pokédex for a moment..." after the Canadian boy did so, Lovino checked the Pokémon on Matthew's belt to see what could use the move Flash. His amber eyes widened after looking at the light screen in horror.

Matthew didn't like the look on the Italian's face. "What's wrong, Lovino?" he questioned uncertainly.

Lovino gulped, "This...this is impossible! The Pokédex identifies your Pokémon, except Kumajirou, as an unknown Pokémon! That means..."

The Canadian boy's own eyes expanded in alarm, "None can use Flash then!"

And so, that was how the pair began their trek through the darkened cave, practically blind. Matthew walked timidly at the front as he waved around his Pokédex, which had a very limited light on it. Lovino was clinging tightly onto his arm, though Matthew couldn't blame him; he didn't want either of them to get lost in there.

It was a little while before there was some light again; this time it was a certain cavern that had two, separate tunnels.

"Two paths..." breathed Matthew. He turned to his Italian partner, "Lovino, which way do we go?"

"Uh..." Lovino licked his lips as his head looked back and forth at the two paths. After rubbing his chin, the Italian finally answered, "We go...left. Now come on, _Mateo_, let's go!"

And so, the pair continued on their journey, taking the left tunnel. Soon, it progressively became dark again, until everything became pitch-black; leading to the pair using Matthew's Pokédex as a light source again.

"I hate fucking caves..." murmured Lovino, now back to clutching onto Matthew's arm. "Chigi..."

Matthew swallowed the lump in his throat; he was much calmer than Lovino was here, but that didn't mean that he wasn't scared of trekking a pitch-black cave for the first time, wandering around aimlessly.

They weren't sure how long they had been wandering around Ward's Cave for, but eventually, Matthew and Lovino could hear something. Something rather..._unusual..._

"What's that?" Matthew asked in an urgent whisper. "Is that..._flapping_?"

Lovino arched an eyebrow, "How the hell am I supposed to know what that is? But, yeah...it _does _sound like flapping..."

"Wings?"

"Maybe..."

Lovino then took Matthew's Pokédex and raised it up, the little light blaring right up at the source of the flapping, which was stuck onto the cave's wall.

The pair could see a blue body, no eyes and a mouth with sharp fangs.

"ZUBATS! CHIGIIIIIIIII!"

Lovino grabbed Matthew's arm and sped back, giving a (manly), high-pitched scream as he ran like a true Italian. Matthew had yelped at first and tried to pick up the pace as his partner ran.

More Zubats began flying after them.

Somehow, Lovino had dashed all the way back to the cavern that had diverged into two separate tunnels, and this time, took the one that went right, his pace not broken. This time, more light gathered into the light as the Italian ran with the Canadian.

"The exit!" exclaimed Matthew.

"FUCK!"

Both leapt out of the cave and into a pond filled with lotus flowers just as the Zubat flew in a huge swarm out of the cave, filling the sky, screeching in an unearthly wail, fangs bared. They were now safe from the Bat Pokémon that were pursuing them before.

Lovino cursed, "Damn Zubat..."

Matthew sighed as he pushed his now soaked glasses up his wet nose. Things definitely weren't boring with Lovino "Romano" Vargas.

But he loved to keep it that way; he quite loved the adventure.

**_Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!_**

The pair finally make it through the Ward's Cave, got out of the lotus flower filled pond, dried off, and finally trekked a green hill filled with sakura trees before they eventually made it to their destination.

_Liánhuāhana City. _

"Chigi! We're finally here..." Lovino sighed as he pushed his sunglasses up to their perch and adjusted his cap.

Matthew nodded and beamed as he gazed around; the buildings were definitely more uniquely crafted than any other city that the pair had ever come into before. The air was warm and filled with a lovely, yet new aroma and there were statues of various oriental Pokémon built in shining, polished jade. The people themselves were hustling and bustling around, wearing garments as well that were different from the usual casual clothing that the pair had seen before.

It was a new feel, coming into an absolutely interesting new culture.

No sooner had they looked around in awe at the beautiful city and admire it a bit more, until someone shouted:

"Get outta the waaaaaaayyy!"

Matthew and Lovino turned around in shock to see what appeared to be a dark-haired Korean boy running at top notch speed that could possibly match an Italian's. The Korean boy was running in such a great rush that he caused a huge cloud of dust when he ran past them and accidentally bumped them. Both Matthew and Lovino were now practically spinning and landed right on the stony ground; completely dazed in the cloud of dust.

"W-wha...? What the heck was that?" Matthew clutched his head, feeling extremely dizzy.

"Chigi..." groaned Lovino. Once he regained his composure, he leapt to his feet and shouted, "What the hell was his fucking problem?!"

Matthew scratched his head, "He looked like he was in a real hurry…"

Lovino snorted, "This place is beautiful, but I bet it's as fucked up as Feral Town and Potato City." He rolled his eyes, "Why don't we just find the gym then get the hell out of here before any other shit happens."

"Huh? What's this?" Matthew pointed to something that was shining on the ground. Upon closer inspection, the pair saw that it was some sort of key. It was made of jade and had a uniquely shaped end with a strange crest-like loop. "A key; oh!" Matthew snapped his fingers. "He must've dropped it while he was running off."

Lovino grumbled, "Fucking idiot…"

Matthew laughed sheepishly, "Let's just take it with us; we'll return it to him if we bump into him."

"Do we have to?"

"_Yes_."

Lovino gave an exasperated groan, "_Fine_, damn it…"

The pair then continued, coming into the city and marvelled at seeing the great number of stalls that were selling all sorts of food. There was what appeared to be balls on a stick, ice cream inside some batter, sweet buns, and other kinds of delicious treats. Matthew and Lovino eventually noticed and came across a huge crowd gathering nearby, surrounding something that was now out of view. They looked on in interest.

"I wonder what's going on over there?" wondered Matthew, violet eyes glinting in curiosity.

"Well, what the hell are we still doing standing here like dumb bastards?" spoke up Lovino. "Let's take a look!"

The pair were able to push through the marvelling crowd to see what had captured their attention. It turned out to be some sort of a show.

There was a young man about Matthew's age, with choppy, dark hair that came up to his jaws and burning light brown eyes. He was wearing a crimson _duanghua _with black piping and oversized sleeves, as well as dark trousers. He had noticeably thick eyebrows, but they weren't as unkempt or bushy as a certain Buneary-owning, blonde, English gentleman.

Right now, this young man had leapt around as he was doing various martial arts feats with various sorts of weaponry - a spear with a feathered ornament attacked to its end, a nunchaku, and finally a metal wheel that he twirled a few times and his Pokémon lit on fire. He was accompanied in the show with an Eevee and a Pansear.

Lovino looked impressed. He smirked, "Heh…that _does_ look pretty badass."

Matthew meanwhile, was awestruck, "Wow…"

The performance ended with a grand finale where the young man suddenly flipped and threw up a set of fireworks. He then crouched low in a certain stance and suddenly blew fire onto a torch. His Pansear helped, causing a great flame to erupt to onto the fireworks, where the explosion's smoke formed into the shape of a huge white, bipedal Pokémon with feathery wings.

Once the smoke and flames subsided, the great crowd applauded uproariously all around him, Matthew and Lovino included. The young man bowed as did his Pokémon and gathered his weaponry while his Pokémon helped.

"Who _was _that?" breathed Matthew, still amazed.

"That was Wang Leon!" laughed a camper upon hearing the Canadian boy's words. "He's a brilliant performer, isn't he?"

Matthew nodded, "I'll say!"

The pair noticed that more people of the crowd had plenty of praise and compliments towards Leon. An old man sighed, fondly, "Wang Leon…such vigour, youth and skill! Why, he reminds me of myself in my day! Wahaha!"

A youngster was bouncing on the balls of his heels. "That performer was Wang Leon!" he exclaimed. "He does all kinds of neat tricks in this square once every week! I always get so excited when I see them! They're so cool! I'm gonna do stuff like him some day! And then people will come and applaud to me every day!"

"Ahh…that Wang Leon..." sighed a socialite. She nodded, "So skilful, so poised, and so refined…I will make sure that he and my daughter have an arranged marriage at once!

Upon hearing that last exclamation, the pair ran off and eventually came into a what appeared to be a marketplace. There were red lanterns hanging on strings above them, obviously not lit due to it still being the afternoon. Many people were hustling around and looking at all kinds of objects. They then came across a store with some antique pottery with finely crafted etchings.

"These are quite beautiful and finely made," smiled Matthew as he picked one up. "Don't you think, Lovino?"

Lovino shrugged, though he was equally impressed at the crafter's skill, "Hmph…"

That was when a voice screamed, "Oh no! Get back here!"

Pretty soon, Lovino suddenly got knocked over by a green blur, screaming, "CHIGI!" landing right onto the ground and onto his back.

Matthew stared in shock to see that the green blur was a Pansage. It was chattering excitedly as it leapt up and down repeatedly on Lovino's torso. He gasped, "Lovino! Are you okay?"

A girl then ran into the scene. She appeared to be slightly younger than Matthew, but only a year or two. She had long, dark hair with a long, crazy curl that was dangling over the right side of her head. She was wearing a bright pink _qipao _with gold trimming and long, flowing sleeves as well as a long, white skirt. She was wearing two pink flowers in her hair as well.

Her light brown eyes were filled with concern, "Oh my gosh! Pansage!" she scolded. "That wasn't nice!" she averted her gaze back to Lovino, looking extremely worried, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

Lovino was seeing stars, but soon, saw a rather pretty girl's face in its place a little while after. "_Bellissimo_…" he breathed.

Matthew and the Taiwanese girl helped the Italian up. Lovino finally snapped out of his gaze and glared right at the Pansage, who was still looking happy and dancing around him. The Italian snarled, enraged. "You little son of a-!"

The girl bowed, "I am _so_ sorry for what Pansage has done! Really, he didn't mean it!"

Upon his eyes settling onto the girl's apologetic features, Lovino softened, "_C__he palle_…don't worry; it was an accident…" he waved his hand dismissively as he straightened his posture and wiped the dust from the hoodie. "This little thing is yours?"

"Yes!" the girl giggled. "He's my little Pansage!" she then picked up the Grass Monkey Pokémon. "Now say hello and sorry!"

Matthew whipped out his Pokédex to take a closer inspection of Lovino's assaulter. **_"Pansage, the Grass Monkey _**_**Pokémon,"** _said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. **_"It's good at finding berries and gathers them from all over. It is kind enough to share them with other Pokémon." _**The Canadian boy smiled, "Hello there, Pansage."

Pansage gave a happy chatter as it reached its paw over, patting the Canadian boy's cheek. Matthew chuckled, "Aw…he's cute!"

Lovino snorted as he leaned closer, "_Ciao_…"

Suddenly, Pansage began chattering more excitedly. It then spotted a part of Lovino's curl that was _just_ sticking out from under his cap.

The Italian screamed bloody murder in a (manly) high-pitched scream as Pansage yanked at it. "AHHHHHH!" the Italian screeched. "S-stop that…! Stop that now…y-you little b-bas-!" he suddenly gasped as he gritted his teeth. "Oh…! Ch-chigi…!"

Matthew was stunned, "Lovino, are you alright?"

The girl quickly pulled Pansage away, who now let go of the curl, and began scolding again, "Pansage! That wasn't nice!" she then turned to Lovino, extremely embarrassed, "I am really, _truly_ sorry about that! Really I am! He's never been like this with anyone! Honest! I don't know why—" suddenly, there was a small beep. She pulled out a pink P*DA and gasped, "Oh no! I'm sorry, but I have to go now! I really am sorry about my Pansage! Bye!"

And with that, she ran off in a great hurry, probably at the same speed as the Korean boy from before. Matthew began to wonder why she was off in a hurry while Lovino wiped at the corner of his eye, which was now a little teary.

He was also cursing, "Little green bastard! He's lucky his trainer is _molto carino_!"

Matthew nervously chuckled, "Ahaha…well, I'm glad you're okay."

Lovino grumbled, "Let's just get to the fucking gym then get the hell out of here…"

The pair admired the scenery around them, coming closer to a great mountain as well, with sparkling waterfalls that glinted from the sun's rays. The pair reached a bridge and saw more lotus flowers in the water, and finally came across a sign that was near what appeared to be an oriental styled building with various characters. However, there were three that spelled out in English - _GYM_. Matthew recognized the building as a kabuki theatre - his cousin Francis showed various photos of them from his travels.

They came across the sign. Matthew read it aloud, "Liánhuāhana City Pokémon Gym. Leader: Xiao Mei, Wang Leon & Im Yong Soo. The Triple Threat Trial!" he then instantly paled, "There are _three _gym leaders?"

Lovino shrugged, "I don't think you verse them all…" seeing Matthew's scared violet eyes bear right into his face, the Italian turned away, "Hopefully…damn it! I don't freaking know! Let's just get our asses inside and see…"

They entered the kabuki theatre-styled Gym and upon coming close to the stage, saw three familiar faces.

The Korean who had rushed past them, the girl with the Pansage that harassed Lovino, and the street performer, Wang Leon. It appeared that right now, Wang Leon and the girl were scolding the Korean boy.

"I can't believe this!" shrieked the girl. "How could you lose it?! It was _your _turn to look after it and you _lost_ it?!"

"It was in my sleeve, da ze!" exclaimed the Korean boy as he began fumbling into the great sleeves of his white and blue hanbok. Matthew realized that the boy had a curl that was bouncing in the air as he continued moving, there was also what appeared to be a face there, and it looked equally panicked. "Where could it have gotten to…?"

"This isn't good…" sighed Wang Leon. "How would brother Yao like, react to this?"

The Korean boy then cried, "_Hyeong_!"

The girl rolled her eyes, "I still can't believe you lost the Jade Key to the places in the Relic Forest! It's been in our family for generations and thanks to you being so careless, it's lost forever!"

"Stop stressing Mei-Mei, da ze!" called the Korean boy. "I'm sure luck will shine on us and the key will return!"

"And just how could you be so sure?!" demanded "Mei-Mei".

"Excuse me..." Matthew chose to intervene. This led to three pairs of eyes fixing upon him. The Canadian boy felt nervous; he wasn't used to being noticed. He cleared his throat and revealed the jade key he and Lovino found earlier, "Is this the key you're looking for?" the three Asians gasped.

"See!" grinned the Korean boy. "Luck _is_ shining on us, da ze! Did you know that luck originated from Korea?"

Mei snapped, "Shut up, Yong Soo!" she then turned to Matthewand Lovino. "Oh, thank you so much!" upon seeing Lovino, she flushed profoundly. "Oh…it's you again. I'm sorry about before with Pansage…"

Lovino shook his head and waved his hand dismissively again, "Forget it, alright _bella_?"

"Yong Soo, you should be grateful that these random strangers gave the key back," remarked Wang Leon. "Otherwise there's no telling what would happen next and how brother Yao would react." He then bowed to the pair, "Thank you; I am Wang Leon and these are my two younger siblings, Xiao Mei and Yong Soo."

"Um…if you don't mind me asking; what exactly is the key used for?" inquired Matthew curiously.

"The key is used to go to parts of the Relic Forest that are just past the Relic Stone," explained Xiao Mei.

"The Relic Stone?" asked Matthew, genuinely interested.

Leon nodded, "Yes, it is a beloved stone that—"

However, a loud voice screeched urgently, "Help! Help! There's trouble!"

Everyone whipped around and saw a kimono girl run in. She was panting, her white face even paler than before; she looked absolutely terrified. She gasped, taking in a sharp intake of breath, "Mistress...Xiao Mei! Master...Wang Leon! Master...Yong Soo! It's a serious situation! Some foreigners went into the Relic Forest!"

Leon's eyes widened, "What? Who were they?"

The kimono girl gulped, "I…I don't know…they shoved me aside when I asked what they were doing and…"

"Enough talk!" declared Leon. Matthew was shocked to see that despite his emotionless exterior, there was a great blaze burning right in the young man's eyes. "That can be saved for later! I'm so off!" and with that, he ran out of the Gym.

Yong Soo began leaping up and down, flailing his arms around, "Hey! Leon!" he exclaimed. "Wait for me, da ze!"

And with that, he ran after him with Mei who was really behind. Matthew and Lovino exchanged worried glances once the three young Asians had left the Gym.

"We should follow them," said Matthew.

"No shit," responded Lovino with a nod.

* * *

_And this concludes this chapter! Yup! There are not one, but _three _Gym Leaders: Xiao Mei (Taiwan), Wang Leon (Hong Kong) and Im Yong Soo (South Korea). However, this will work exactly like the first Gym in the game of Pokémon Black & White._

_Anyway, what's gonna happen now? What is going on in the Relic Forest? Tune in for the next chapter! Thoughts and opinions, guys? Well, have an awesome day! :DDD_


	14. Relic Forest Rumble

_Hey, just HetaWriter/HetaReader here again! Another chapter coming your way! I just realized that the last one was poorly written, so I fixed it up (it was like 4 in the morning when I finished typing it) and yeah, I apologize for the sloppiness...TT_TT_

_Anyway, BIG thanks goes to **serenity-topaz **for the fave, and to **MVFBattleEevee**, **AlliasAlliance**, **hetaliaforever123** and **Ayumi Kudou **for the reviews! :D_

_**MVFBattleEevee:** Oh really? Wow! I'd love to read it! What's it gonna be about? I'd love to know! :D  
_

_**AliasAlliance:** Ahh, it's a shame you don't have Black and White - I think it's pretty good. Hehe, yeah basically you got it right - Mei has a Pansage, Leon has a Pansear and Yong Soo _does _have a Panpour. As always, thank you so much for all the reviews and being patient with me! :D_

_**hetaliaforever123:** Oh yeah! Asians FTW! Yao and Kiku _definitely _appear, but Kiku will appear _very _later on. Yao appears a bit sooner, actually. I'll say it now that Yao isn't a Gym Leader, but he is something else. I won't say anything about Kiku as of yet. And yes, Lovi is awesome, awesomer than Prussia. XD_

_**Ayumi Kudou: **Yeah, I hated the fact that Ash hasn't aged at all! Pokemon started airing at like 1990's; he should be freaking twenty by now or so! DX I personally think Ash x Misty is overrated, and I don't think any of the other girls (or guys) suit him, either. Ash x Pikachu? WTF?! Hehe, RomaCan is pretty cute in my opinion. About your request, I apologize, but I don't think I'll be able to do it, simply because of a few reasons:  
1. There are certain pet peeves of mine: I call Liechtenstein "Erika" instead of Eva, and I usually make her at least six years younger than Yao. Plus, I'm not exactly skilled in regards to Medieval AU's. However, I do recall a ChinaLiech fic out there that fit the bill for that...forgot what it was called...  
2. I also have my other fics to complete - Truffles and a Hammer has about two chapter left, and I have to try to find the inspiration to write up The Soldier's next chapter, and also complete Smoke Catching Fire's next two chapters, too.  
3. Life being a bitch - have work, uni and honestly, my roommate's going through a rough time, and he needs all the support he can get.  
I apologize, but I don't think I'll be able to do your request...or any other request for that matter...:( but just out of interest, what drew you to like ChinaLiech? _

_I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

_Originated in Korea!_

* * *

The pair hurriedly left the Gym and began searching around the city, asking the citizens if they've seen the three, young Asian Gym leaders run by and where they went off to. Luckily, they were pointed to the right direction and were eventually lead towards a small tunnel at the side of the mountainside that was hidden behind a small waterfall that trickled nearby.

There was a gate upon closer inspection, and it was reduced to nothing, but blasted bits of metal, obviously now busted.

"Whoa…" Matthew breathed as he and Lovino inspected the gate.

"Damn…" Lovino shook his head. "This looks bad, _Mateo_…you better be prepared for this before we go in!"

The Canadian boy nodded, "I'm fine; I'm ready. Are you? There might be more Shadow Pokémon here…maybe it's Shade business…"

Lovino sniffed, "Yeah, I think that, too…let's go…"

And so, the pair entered the tunnel, where there was a small river running through and the tunnel smelled strongly of the earth. Tree roots also protruded from the roof of the tunnel. However, there was also somebody who caught their eye immediately upon entering…

It was a female Shade Peon.

She immediately confronted the pair, "Hey, what?" she exclaimed. "Here comes another meddler. Those three, little Asians earlier…they trampled down on me when I let down my guard! But that won't happen again!" however, after Matthew defeated her in a battle soon after, she whined, "Ouchies! Why are the people here so ridiculously strong?"

"Eh…I'm not ridiculously strong," Matthew said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No, she just sucks horribly," remarked Lovino.

However, the female Shade Peon had ran out of the tunnel. The pair were confused by this, but shrugged it off and decided to go on. However, this time, after crossing a set of planks that made a bridge, they were confronted this time by a male Shade Peon.

"No, forget about it," snapped the male Shade Peon. "You're not going on any farther." However, he cried upon getting stomped by Matthew in a battle, "Road block attempt failed!" and, just like the female Shade Peon from earlier, he ran out of the tunnel.

The pair again shrugged it off and decided to finally exit the tunnel to see what lay beyond and if the three Asian Gym leaders were okay. However, before they could exit, a female Shade Peon leapt from the ceiling; only a few centimetres away from Lovino's face.

"Chigi!" squeaked the Italian in shock as he leapt back. Matthew's heart also leapt in his chest.

"Boo! Fufufu! Scared you, didn't I?" the female Shade Peon cackled, but soon her smug, lipstick-smeared grin was gone when she was defeated. "I'm shocked over this loss! Little boy, you're shockingly strong!" and with that, she ran out of the tunnel as well, just like the other two.

Matthew and Lovino didn't pay attention to her though, and looked at the exit before them, now nervous, but ready to see what had happened.

They exited the tunnel were shocked by the scene enfolding before them.

Wang Leonwas standing between another Shade Peon and a huge, darkened stone. However, there was something about this Shade Peon that made Matthew highly uneasy.

Maybe it was because this Shade Peon was standing more upright and proudly than the other ones they encountered or maybe it was because this one was wearing a different outfit, much like Mirakle; only this one was wearing a silver, metallic armour, bodysuit and helmet, as well as a blue bandana – but Matthew knew that this one would not be a cocky pushover like the others.

Yong Soo was on the ground a bit off, and he was holding a knocked out Panpour. The poor Spray Pokémon looked completely beaten with bite marks, scratches and a few cuts and bruises. The Korean boy was gritting his teeth.

Xiao Mei meanwhile, was holding her dizzy looking Pansage, and she was closer to the tunnel's opening. Therefore, she saw the pair first.

"Oh! It's you two!" squeaked Mei. "Oh, please help!"

"_Bella_, what's happening?" inquired Lovino.

"My brothers are in a heap of trouble!" cried Mei. "What shall we do? What shall we do? My brothers and I may be the gym leaders, but things are going so horribly! My poor Pansage was attacked and he's confused, Yong Soo's already been beaten, and I don't think Leon can do this by himself!

Matthew's eyes widened, "This can't be good…"

The pair decided to come closer and watch carefully at the scene before them.

"You! Who are you?" demanded Leon, his face still stoic, but his voice expressed his true emotions. "What are you doing here?"

"Although you may ask why we are here, we simply cannot answer that," responded the Shade Peon coolly. "I see you and your siblings are only children, but I cannot allow you to interfere with our affairs."

"You're the ones interfering!" yelled Yong Soo from his spot. "Shady creeps like you…Leo! Run them out, da ze!" he then cradled his Panpour, who let out a feeble whimper. "My poor Panpour…"

Matthew saw a little sympathetic glint from Leon's eyes as he stared at the Korean boy and his wounded Pokémon, then pierced his eyes back onto the Shade Peon, eyes burning with a determined flame, "Indeed…I will do just that!"

The Shade Peon simply laughed, "Ahaha! Now, now, you young ones try too hard."

"Don't take me for a fool," said Leon sharply. "I have a comrade with whom I've been through thick and thin. This is the first Pokémon I got, and it's been with me ever since!" he then took out a Poké ball. "Okay, Pansear! We haven't battled this much in a while! Let's keep focus!"

"Hmph," the Shade Peon snorted. "My name is Skrub. Let's see you try and defeat me, boy. Go, Pikachu!" He threw the Poké ball and the Mouse Pokémon was unleashed for battle.

"Pika, pika!" the Pikachu said, on all fours, looking very focused for battle.

Lovino's amber eyes widened from behind his sunglasses and he shook urgently on Matthew's shoulder. "_Mateo_!" he hissed. "That one's a Shadow Pokémon!"

Matthew's violet eyes were stretched wide as Skrub continued, "I will allow you to have the first move"

Leon narrowed his eyes at the polite, yet mocking tone and called, "Pansear, use Flame Burst!"

"Sear…" the High Temp Pokémon released a stream of fire from its mouth into the air. The flames then formed into a ball of fire, which then burst and sent out multiple streaks of fire right at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, show them your Shadow Bolt!" commanded Skrub.

"Shadow Bolt?" Leon looked confused.

With that, the Mouse Pokémon clenched its paws inwards, its tail standing up as a sudden purge of black and gold electricity charged in its body. "Pika…_chu_!" suddenly, the Shadow Bolt was released; it looked exactly like a Thunderbolt, only it consisted of darkened colours and Pikachu itself was engulfed in a shadowy aura.

Straight away, the bolts of Shadow Bolt struck the flames, dissipating them to nothing.

Leon's eyes widened, "So that's what it is…what power…" nonetheless, he took charge straight away, "Pansear, quickly use Bite!"

"Sear!" Pansear rushed in quickly at a remarkable speed and clamped its jaws right down onto Pikachu's arm.

Pikachu snarled, looking extremely irritated by the attack.

"Use Shadow Rush!" ordered Skrub, looking completely calm from the whole situation.

Before Leon could say anything to counter, despite not knowing what the move even was, Pikachu was engulfed in a shadowy aura and collided recklessly right into Pansear. The Asian was shocked to see that the Mouse Pokémon was now scratching his Pokémon in a ferocious manner.

"Now finish it with one last Shadow Rush!" called Skrub, taking initiative.

Of course, Pikachu complied as it was now engulfed in a sinister, shadowy aura again. It dashed at amazing speed, rushing on all fours and collided with Pansear again, blowing it backwards and knocking it straight at the stone.

"Oh no!" cried Mei.

"No, da ze!" shrieked Yong Soo.

"Pansear," Leon immediately ran to his Pokémon and bent down taking it into his arms. He tenderly cradled it close and the poor High Temp Pokémon gave a whimper.

Skrub simply gave a cold, cruel laugh, "Ha! Didn't I already say so before? You young ones try too hard."

Matthew, Lovino and Mei immediately ran forward to Leon and his critically injured Pokémon, while Yong Soo seethed, glaring at Skrub's direction.

"Leon! Yong Soo!" squealed Mei

"Sea…sear!" uttered the Pansear in a weak, pitiful cry.

"How _dare_ you!" snarled Mei, outraged. "You'll never get away with this!

Skrubturned to face her, but then noticed Matthewand Lovino. He chuckled "Ah…now _here's_ someone who may show me a more enjoyable time."

"Mei's right," said Matthew, voice soft, yet firm. "_I'll_ make sure you don't get away with this!"

"You?" smirked Skrub. "Very well, then. En garde!" he returned Pikachu instead, and whipped out another Poké ball, this time sending out a Geodude. "Go, Geodude!"

Matthew whipped out one of his own Poké balls from his belt and chucked it, too, "Go! Mienfoo!"

"Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon instantly punched forward, pumped for battle.

"Geodude, Dig!" ordered Skrub.

The Rock Pokémon immediately dug and dived into a hole, produced by its hands. Mienfoo crouched in a stance, preparing for orders.

"Mienfoo, be careful!" called Matthew. "Try and listen for it!"

The Martial Arts Pokémon shut its eyes and focused, feeling the tremors underneath its paws and listening closely to any sounds that would signify the Boulder Pokémon's presence.

Suddenly, Geodude flew out from the ground right underneath Mienfoo, however the Martial Arts Pokémon was well prepared.

It leapt up, out of reach, and Matthew took charge, "Use a full powered Brick Break!"

"Foo…foo!" Mienfoo immediately did a somersault in the air, its paw now glowing white as it bashed its paw straight onto Geodude's head and knocking it down to the ground in a crash, effectively knocking it out.

"_Magnifico_, _Mateo_!" called Lovino. "But don't let your guard down on this bastard yet!"

Matthew nodded, while Skrub looked mildly impressed, "You're pretty strong for a child, but obviously as your friend implied, it is far from over…now go, Pikachu!"

"Chigi!" yelled Lovino. "The Shadow Pokémon!"

Matthew licked his lips when he saw the Mouse Pokémon unleashed from its ball, looking ready for a fight. Mienfoo narrowed its eyes, looking just as determined.

"Pikachu, use Shadow Rush!" ordered Skrub.

"Pika, pika, pika, pika, pika!" Pikachu instantly became surrounded by the shadowy aura and dashed forward, colliding straight into Mienfoo, who gave a yelp and was knocked backward. The Martial Arts Pokémon however caught its landing and gave a snarl.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break!" called Matthew.

"Foo!" Mienfoo's paw instantly glowed white and struck Pikachu right at the jaw, knocking it back. However, upon impact, Mienfoo gave a squeak as it began quivering, now emitting bolts.

"Mienfoo! What's wrong?!" cried Matthew.

"That's fucking Static!" shrieked Lovino. "It paralyses your Pokémon on impact!"

"Pikachu, now use Shadow Bolt!" commanded Skrub.

Pikachu unleashed the technique, instantly knocking out Mienfoo, blasting it backwards.

"Oh no!" yelped Matthew. He sighed and returned the Martial Arts Pokémon, "You did well, just take a good, long rest now…" he then pulled out another Poké ball and took a deep breath. "Okay…go! Pidgeotto!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, _Mateo_?!" screamed Lovino. The Canadian boy looked at the Italian man in alarm. "You don't ever send out a Flying-type Pokémon against a fucking _Electric _Pokémon!"

Matthew's eyes widened upon his mistake, but too late, Skrub took command, "Pikachu, use Shadow Bolt!"

"Pika…chu!" Pikachu instantly used the dreaded attack and shocked Pidgeotto right out of the sky, making it crash land right to the ground after a loud, agonizing screech.

Matthew was really embarrassed; that was a huge blunder, and it cost him one Pokémon in battle. He groaned, "I can't believe I never knew that…I'm so sorry, Pidgeotto…take a rest…" he returned the poor Bird Pokémon and licked his lips, "Okay…go, Kumajirou!"

"Choo!" the Chill Pokémon sniffed and wiped at its face, but upon looking at Pikachu, looked determined to battle.

"Pikachu, use Shadow Rush!" called Skrub.

Pikachu instantly dashed forward while being engulfed in a shadowy aura and collided straight into Kumajirou. The Chill Pokémon gave a slight squeak, but more out of surprise than pain, and instantly regained its composure after impact, now looking annoyed.

"Kuma, use Icy Wind!" shouted Matthew.

Kumajirou reared back its head and unleashed the technique right onto the Mouse Pokémon, who stood its ground, though obviously looked like it was suffering from the cold.

"Pikachu, Shadow Bolt!" commanded Skrub.

Pikachu unleashed the said technique, but Kumajirou dodged without a command, determined not to lose.

Matthew yelled, "Kuma, use Icy Wind again!"

Kumajirou reared back its head and released the Ice-type technique, causing Pikachu to stand its ground again, while gritting its teeth.

"That won't do anything!" declared Skrub. "Pikachu, use Shadow Rush!"

"Pika!" Pikachu instantly ran forward, ready to do the technique again, but Matthew realized something. The Mouse Pokémon seemed rather…_different _this time.

However, the Canadian boy wasn't quite sure what it was. However, he took charge and commanded Kumajirou to dodge and use another Icy Wind. Straight away, the Chill Pokémon followed its order and unleashed the attack right on the Mouse Pokémon.

Pikachu grit its teeth again, shivering from the cold. When Skrub commanded the Mouse Pokémon to do another Shadow Rush or Shadow Bolt, Matthew then realized what was so different about Pikachu.

'_It's getting slower!'_ he concluded. _'Okay, this is it!'_ he then shouted, "Kumajirou, use Icy Wind, again!"

Kumajirou complied and unleashed the Ice-type attack, however it looked far stronger, now made out of a single beam and blasted right at the Mouse Pokémon, who now looked completely stunned and was blown backward.

"Whoa!" Matthew's eyes widened.

"That was Ice Beam, da ze!" called Yong Soo. "Awesome!"

"Cool," the Canadian boy grinned at his Cubchoo and shouted, "Kumajirou, use Ice Beam once more!"

Kumajirou reared back its head and unleashed a great blast of ice straight at Pikachu, who now looked utterly terrified. It was blasted straight back and hit the strange stone, specks of ice had formed on its chest, causing it to shiver and hiss in pain.

"What the -?!" Skrub gasped.

"Pikachu has been frozen," noted Leon.

"Now's your chance, _Mateo_!" yelled Lovino. "Do it! Do it now, damn it!"

"Here's my chance!" said Matthew as he pulled out an empty Poké ball. "Now go, Poké ball!" and with that, he chucked the Poké ball straight at Pikachu.

The ball hit the Mouse Pokémon on the head and a red beam captured it inside. The ball landed on the ground after three bounces and began shaking like mad, the centre button pulsing like mad. Everyone watched it in bated breath; Matthew and Lovino were looking at it in determination while the three Asians looked in curiosity.

The ball then stopped shaking and pulsing like mad.

Matthew immediately whooped in delight and grabbed the Poké ball, "Yes! Pikachu! I have a Pikachu now!"

Lovino sighed in relief and walked up to his Canadian partner, patting his back, "Good job, _Mateo_…"

"I should have declined!" shrieked Skrub, now losing his once calm and composed demeanour. Everyone fixed their gaze onto him, "I had been instructed to capture Celebi, and then destroy the Relic Stone, but matters have not gone according to plan! I shall have to immediately inform Mr Keith!" and with that, he fled.

Lovino snorted, "Cowardly bastard…"

"Hey, are you all okay?" Matthew asked the three Gym leaders in concern.

"Fine here, da ze!" called Yong Soo as he gave a thumbs-up. "So is Panpour!"

Xiao Mei nodded, "Same, Pansage didn't get _too _many injuries…"

"I'm fine," responded Leon. "But my partner-!"

"Sea…sear…!" spoke up Pansear in a feeble voice, but signalling it was alright.

"Ah, you're safe," Leon sighed in relief and stroked the High Temp Pokémon's head. "Good, good. You battled with honour. If your opponent was like any ordinary Pokémon, you would have won. But…" he turned to face Matthew and Lovino. "That was no ordinary Pokémon…"

"Damn right on that one!" spoke up Lovino. "That was a Shadow Pokémon you just fought!"

"Shadow Pokémon?" asked Mei in confusion.

Yong Soo grumbled, "They definitely did not originate from Korea…"

"What are these…Shadow Pokémon?" questioned Leon, looking really curious.

"Let's just take this back home," said Mei. She bowed at Lovino and Matthew. "Thank you so much for helping us. We'd be honoured if you would join us."

They all went to an oriental-styled home and sat on a _tatami_ mat with a _kotatsu_ table. They all began to discuss what was going on while Yong Soowas serving some kimchi. Lovinodeclined, wrinkling his nose, but it went by unnoticed. The three Monkey Pokémon were eating nearby, famished from the experience, and also healing.

"Now tell us, what are these…Shadow Pokémon?" inquired Leon.

"They're poor Pokémon that have been abducted by figures like those in the forest," responded Matthew.

"They artificially close the hearts of those Pokémon, turning them into damn fighting machines that are a pain in the ass," explained Lovino.

"Oh, that's horrible!" cried Mei. "The poor Pokémon…" she then gazed at her Pansage who was happily eating.

Yong Soo grumbles, "Those crooks…they said they were out to capture Celebi and destroy the Relic Stone, da ze!"

"Hmm…why?" wondered Leon. "Might there be a sort of connection between Celebi and Shadow Pokémon, then? Hmm…wait! I remember; didn't we have a stone tablet that brother Yao gave us? It had something about the Relic carved into it."

"Oh yeah, da ze!" spoke up Yong Soo. "We did have that stone tablet from _hyeong_! Now, where could I have put it away?"

Mei sighed, "Really, Yong Soo? _Really_?"

"Look, don't worry!" laughed the Korean. "After I eat, I'll go look for it, da ze!" he guzzled down all his kimchi and drank his milk tea, then leapt up and rushed away to find the stone tablet.

Mei sighed, "And at this rate, it will take a bit of a while…"

"Please, be patient at the time being," Leon said. "While he's gone looking, you both might try gathering more information on Celebi."

"I know some crap about Celebi," spoke up Lovino. "Grandpa told me some shit when he tried studying it."

"Really? What did he say?" asked Matthew.

Lovino responded, "It's a legendary Pokémon that's puny, but it packs a hell of a punch. However, it's shy and only likes to live in forest-like places. It's said to make nature alive and what's even more amazing is that it apparently has the ability to travel back and forth in time."

Mei was awed, "That's impressive! You know your stuff!"

Lovino smirked, "Heh, _grazie bella_…"

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door and a cheerful voice then called, "_Privet_? Anyone in?"

* * *

_Anyway, this ends this chapter! I think it's kinda obvious who's the visitor...hopefully ^^; anyway, yes I _had _to make a really rough-mannered Pikachu as Matthew's next Shadow Pokemon, but don't worry - to evolve or not to evolve? That is the question!_

_I actually have a question to those who have played Pokemon Colosseum or XD (especially to Colosseum players), for the Admin battles (Greevil in XD's case), should I use the legendaries? To those who don't get it, just ignore this question or PM me if you really want to know what I'm talking about._

_Anyway, thoughts and opinions? They make me happy and strive high! (fly high! *shot*) have a nice day! It's freaking five in the morning here...TT_TT_


	15. Celebi and Rock-Paper-Scissors!

_Hey guys, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing to you yet another chapter! O-Over 50 reviews?! Dear God, I'd love to hug all of you, but obviously...I can't...uh... *gives virtual hugs, cookies and a free tomato and jar of maple syrup* hope that helps! ^^; but seriously, that means a lot to me that you guys would take the time off to just slip me a review on how you feel about my progress so far. So again, with my deepest gratitude, thank you so much! :D_

_Well things are getting a little rough in my neck of the woods; my Spain is going through a hard time and he really needs all the support he can get, so I apologize if my weekly updates to this are late by a day or so. ^^;_

_Anyway, a BIG thanks goes to **hurricaneclaw **for the follow, **CJWrites **for the fave, and to **Ayumi Kudou**, **AliasAlliance**, **MVFBattleEevee**, **hetaliaforever123**,** serenity-topaz **and **PastaSymmetrylover **for the reviews!_

_**Ayumi Kudou: **Ah, okay then! Thank you for understanding. I might make a MMD picture actually on DeviantArt on ChinaLiech, actually - it sounds interesting now, and I most likely will put it on my huge list of crack pairings I support. ^^; yeah, I miss Brock; he was so funny, that playing mofo! XD but I think the reason why he left was because Eric Stuart, his AWESOME VA, quit. Yeah, Team Rocket was so hilarious, too in the old days - I do miss their Kanto voices though; James' laugh was so funny, and Jessie sounded really good, too (now that I rewatch some of the old episodes, she reminds me of Larxene from Kingdom Hearts). Really? That's a shame you can't get an account online...I would love to read some of your works. :( do you have a DeviantArt account instead? Maybe that could work; I'm posting my stories on there, too. Ahh, as for RomaWan, I'm actually not sure about that pairing, I prefer Romano with Canada or Liechtenstein and a CRAP load of Nyotalia as well ^^; Taiwan...I don't pay much attention to her, and honestly, I didn't know what to think of her because she seems okay, but it's just that fandom sometimes push her portrayals a bit too much and so she looks like a bitch to China who people are supposed to sympathize with. But, that would be so funny to troll China (though i'm the China in my group ^^; )  
_

_**AliasAlliance:** Yeah, things are indeed getting serious, but I try my best to add a little bit of humour now and then. Just out of interest, why were you off in a hurry? School? :O_

_**MVFBattleEevee:** Yeah, I want to, but at the same time, not many people know about Colosseum/XD, so I'm not sure whether I should do that or not with the Admin battles. YES! It's Ivan/Russia! Oooh, really? I'll go check it out when I have some spare time on me! :D  
_

_**hetaliaforever123: **Haha, yeah Yong Soo don't worry; Shadow Pokemon didn't originate from you, but everything else did! ...except milk tea! *gets shot by Yong Soo* yeah Ivan, why are you there anyway? Pika-pika-pika...CHU! Sweet! You're in Band?! What instrument do you play?! (Was pianist back in high school band days)_

_**serenity-topaz:** Huh? But why can't I mention you? I love mentioning my readers! XD thank you so much for the kind words! Critiques help me to keep going as well as personal opinions of the reader; as I mention several times before - it helps me grow as a writer. :D Haha yeah, I like Matthew and Lovino together whether it be just friends or romantic and yes, I tried to lighten the serious atmosphere a bit by having Lovino curse at Matthew for doing that; can't blame Matthew though; there are so many types of Pokemon, that people tend to forget (though i'm a gamer nerd and remember them perfectly ^^; ) Hehe, just read on about Ivan...  
_

_**PastaSymmetrylover: **Kimi-sama? Either you're referring to me with a suffix I'm not worthy of, or were you trying to say Kami-sama? ^^; YES! It's Russia! :D thanks for the review!  
_

_VODKAAAAAAAA~_

* * *

Matthew and Lovino's heads instantly spun around when the voice called, almost jumping in their seats. Mei however casually called, "Door's open, Ivan! Come on in!"

The door instantly opened and the pair's eyes boggled at the man that stood before them.

He towered over them at a very great height; he had pale hair and violet eyes. He was wearing a rather long coat despite the warm weather in the city, and also a lightly-coloured, scarf was snugly wrapped around his neck. For some strange reason, he also had a faucet pipe strapped to his back.

Matthew wondered what on earth a man would even need a pipe for. Lovino didn't want to know.

The man's eyes settled down on the pair and he gave a big smile, "Oh, new friends?" his voice was lined with a very thick Russian accent.

Mei nodded, "Yup! They helped us earlier when we were in trouble!"

"Ah~!" the newcomer, Ivan, gave a nod of acknowledgement. "That is to do with the commotion I am hearing about of the Relic Forest, _da_? I wish I could've come earlier, but I was held up a bit by my foolish co-worker and his stupid face…"

Here, he gave a scowl, and despite not looking at him, Lovino was trembling from head-to-toe as he inched closer to Matthew while the Canadian boy himself felt rather uneasy from the dark shade that momentarily overtook the Russian's once sparkled violet hues.

"Ivan, would you like some kimchi?" Leon asked politely, noticing the tense air around Matthew and Lovino. "Yong Soo made some. Please, have a seat."

At once, the darkened shade was gone, and Ivan was smiling again, "Ah~! Don't mind if I do!" he plopped down on the seat, which sagged a little under his great being. "_Da_, Asian cuisine is very good." He aimed at his smile this time at Matthew and Lovino, "Pleased to meet you, I am Ivan Braginski. Maybe you have heard of me before?"

Matthew and Lovino exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say; _have _they met before? They didn't think so.

"No?" Ivan asked, arching an eyebrow.

Lovino then had the feeling that he had seen the Russian man somewhere, somewhere rather important, but right now, he couldn't place just _where _it was and _when _the time occurred. The more the Italian thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

Ivan didn't seem fazed by their lack of recognition though, and instead gave a laugh, "Oh, that is a shame! But…surprises are quite nice, too, _da_?" He then helped himself to some of Yong Soo's kimchi. As he served himself, he asked, "Now, what are your names?"

"O-oh! I'm Matthew, and this is Lovino," said the Canadian boy as he made a gesture to himself, then to his Italian partner.

"Nice to be meeting you," said Ivan. "Now, what brings you here in this lovely city?"

"Hey, Ivan!" piped up Mei. "You know a lot about Celebi!"

At hearing the Pokémon's name, Ivan's eyes glowed warmly, "Ah…that lovely, little one. I first met him when I was about your age…" he nodded at Matthew's direction then asked, "Now, what was it you wanted to know about dear Celebi?"

"Matthew and Lovino want to know more about Celebi," responded Leon. "Lovino already stated some facts he knew, maybe you should place your own input forward."

"_Da_!" Ivan seemed really eager to talk. "I would love to! Now, let me start with the Relic in the Relic Forest."

"You mean that stone in the middle?" asked Matthew, now becoming curious.

Ivan nodded, "According to ancient lore, the Relic is said to hold the power of time travel for Celebi. That mystical power is said to revive the most pleasant and more enjoyable memories of both Pokémon and people." As he spoke, his eyes shone brighter and warmer, "_Da_…it worked on me one time when I was with Yao…now, would you like to hear more?"

After exchanging glances, Matthew and Lovino nodded in unison, prompting Ivan to resume his talk.

"However, little Celebi is a very shy creature," added Ivan. "_Da_, he hides when he sees strangers and merely observes them. However, there _is _a way to meet him directly."

"What do you do?" inquired Matthew.

"You must use an item called the Time Flute," answered Ivan. He thanked Mei who gave him some milk tea to drink.

Lovino arched an eyebrow, "Time Flute?"

Ivan nodded, "That is all one needs to bring sweet, little Celebi to the Relic Forest. Celebi will surely cause darkness to flee from the hearts of any Pokémon or person." He gave a sip on his milk tea, softly smiling as he whispered, "He certainly helped me conquer the darkness in my own heart…"

"Huh?" Matthew's eyes widened a bit, unsure if what he heard was true.

Ivan gave a big beam again as he raised his milk tea, "This is very delicious! Anyway, that is all I can say about little Celebi from what I know. So you two, have you fought against the gym leader yet?"

"Um…" Matthew scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I don't think now's a good time to do that…"

Leon spoke up, "We can verse you the day after tomorrow when our Pokémon are properly rested up. Today took a lot out of them. Yours, too."

Yong Soo came rushing in at this point, screaming, "I've found it! I've found it, da ze!" he was raising up a small, stone tablet.

"That is the small tablet that has been passed down through our family over many generations," explained Leon as he took it from Yong Soo. He then offered it to Matthew, "Examine it, if you may."

"_Da_," Ivan said in agreement as is sipped his milk tea.

Obtaining the small tablet, Matthew read what was inscribed on it aloud, "In Liánhuāhana City's mystic Relic, Celebi's power shelters. A heart imprisoned by shadows. Its last door shall be opened by the power within…"

"No doubt about it," Lovino remarked after hearing Matthew read. "The Relic must have some effect on the poor bastards…"

"We will leave that for you to determine for yourselves," said Leon.

"T-thank you," stammered Matthew as he bowed his head in respect. "Thank you very much."

Leon simply waved a dismissive hand, "It is no problem. Please, you are both welcome to stay in our home for the time being as well…"

"Huh? Oh no! We can't do that," Matthew spoke up. "We'll take up space!"

"No we won't!" protested Lovino.

Mei shook her head, "We don't have a problem with you guys staying over at all! In fact, we'd be honoured if you stayed!"

"Stay!" Yong Soo called as he ran over to Matthew and began yanking on his arm. "Stay for the night, da ze!"

Matthew's face flushed red at how close the Korean boy was to him and was about to protest more when Leon suddenly stood up, calmly walked over to the pair, and applied what appeared to be a karate chop on Yong Soo's hands.

At once, the Korean boy gave a yelp more out of surprise than pain and began clutching his hands as he whined, "Leo~! That hurt, da ze!"

Leon snorted, "Do not do that next time; you were scaring Matthew." He turned his attention back to the pair and said, "Please, it is the least we could do for you helping out earlier. Stay."

"It is best to do as he says," Ivan spoke up as he sipped his milk tea again and ate some more kimchi. "When they have their minds to it, they stay with it until it is gained. Very stubborn; much like Yao."

"_Hyeong_!" exclaimed Yong Soo.

"Yeah, we'll stay," said Lovino quickly before Matthew could say anything else.

"Yay~!" cheered Mei as she clapped her hands. She then turned to Ivan, "I assume you want to stay over as well."

Ivan smiled, "Just for the night or so; I have to get back to my duty, but I would like to maybe watch that gym battle between _Matvey _and one of you."

"Yeah! Mattie and Lovi are staying with us, da ze!" shouted Yong Soo in triumph. He instantly wrenched his arm around Matthew's and declared, "Mattie's sleeping with me, da ze!"

"What the hell, bastard!" yelled Lovino as he instantly grabbed Matthew's other arm. "He ain't sleeping with you! He doesn't even know you!"

"Do not worry, Lovino; Matthew will not sleep with my brother," Leon said firmly. He then turned his gaze onto Yong Soo, "Knowing you, you'll probably grope him, or at the very least, grope him in your sleep."

"G-grope?!" Matthew squeaked in shock, his face becoming an unhealthy shade of red.

Yong Soo gave a dramatic gasp, "How could you even say that, Leo?! Mattie doesn't even have breasts!"

"Yet, you continue to grope Yao and Kiku," Mei rolled her eyes.

"Hey! They _do _have breasts!" argued Yong Soo. At once, the Korean boy and the Taiwanese girl suddenly engaged in a fierce argument about their brothers having breasts. Lovino's eye twitched; this was the most fucked-up thing he had ever heard.

Matthew sighed, but then felt a hand go on his shoulder. Looking around, he saw that it was Leon. He mumbled, "You can sleep in my room, if you wish…"

"What the hell's with all of you wanting _Mateo _to sleep with you?!" demanded Lovino in exasperation.

Leon narrowed his eyes, "I am sorry if that seems inappropriate to you; I was simply offering. You are welcome to sleep with him if you like in my room or one of the others; my brothers and sister are older and doing what they wish, so it is no problem to sleep in their rooms."

"Much better, bastard," snorted Lovino.

Leon's face was impassive, but Matthew could tell that the Asian boy didn't like that tone of voice Lovino used towards him.

Ivan beamed as Yong Soo now placed his fingers in his ears and began singing some K-pop while Mei screeched at him angrily. "I just love coming over here to visit," the Russian said as he happily sipped more milk tea.

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

The next day, Matthew took that time to train with his Pokémon at the front of the city while the Asian siblings had their own duties to attend to. Nobody knew where Ivan was during that time, but it was safe to assume that the Russian was simply exploring around the city and doing his own business.

During this time, Lovino began teaching Matthew the essentials of Pokémon types and their advantages since the last screw-up that the Canadian boy had done was a really fatal one that could've gone worse if the problem was ignored. The Italian had raised his notebook various times and showed pages that had a drawing of a type.

For instance, he raised up a page with a flame on it and said, "_Mateo_, what sucks against Fire-type Pokémon and moves?"

Matthew licked his lips as he answered, "Grass and Ice."

Lovino arched an eyebrow, "Just those two?"

The Canadian boy then stopped and began to think. He then gasped, "No, wait! I almost forgot about Bug and Steel!"

The Italian smirked, "_Magnifico_. You're getting much better with this…"

Matthew himself was glad that Lovino was giving him the time of day to teach him more about Pokémon. Despite having two badges, the Canadian boy knew he was still inexperienced in regards to the essentials. He was very eager though; there was just so much information that he had to take in.

Lovino was actually impressed with Matthew and his progress; sure the Canadian boy screwed it up the first few tries, but he persevered, and he actually proved to be quite attentive and as a result, a quick learner.

'_If only that bastard can be as attentive as you, Mateo,' _he thought to himself as he watched Matthew train Kumajirou with his other Pokémon. _'It would make things a whole lot better…'_

The day after that, Matthew and Lovino headed downstairs the oriental home of the gym leaders and at once, saw Ivan at the _kotatsu _table.

The Russian was sipping some green tea this time. He greeted the pair and beckoned to the sliding door, "They are waiting for you in the gym. You want that badge, _da_?"

Matthew nodded, looking determined. He and Lovino instantly headed into the gym, and at once, set foot into the _kabuki _theater and looked up at the grand stage.

The Canadian boy could feel his stomach twisting and turning again as he swallowed the lump in his throat. He kept his gaze steady as the three gym leaders finally came on.

Mei walked in, her head held high as she twirled a pink parasol in her hands. She then spun around, her robes flowing elegantly along as she stopped and crouched in a stance.

Next, Yong Soo made some cartwheels as he suddenly gained enough momentum to jump even higher, resulting in him making a backflip. Once he landed, he smoothly flowed into a stance as well.

Finally, there was a set of fireworks that were let off as Leon dropped from the ceiling with what appeared to be a sword. He swung it a couple of times and finally did a trick that the pair had seen before; he blew fire and it roared onto the tip of the blade, again making the shape of that same, feathery looking Pokémon that they had seen before.

Matthew couldn't help but applaud the performance while Lovino rolled his eyes, though he also was quite entertained and clapped, too. "Flashy bastards," he said, though Matthew felt from the tone of voice that it sounded more like a compliment.

"We weren't formally introduced before, but welcome to the Liánhuāhana City gym!" called Mei. "My name is Xiao Mei; I like Grass-type Pokémon!"

Leon then stood straight, "I am a Fire-type specialist, and my name is Wang Leon." He then bowed, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Finally, Yong Soo called, "And I'm Yong Soo, da ze! I pump things up with my Water-type Pokémon!"

"Brother Leon! Explain!" said Mei firmly.

Leon nodded as he fixed his gaze onto Matthew, "The three of us will decide whom you will battle. It'll all be based on luck and chance."

"That's right!" grinned Yong Soo. "Let's do this thing, da ze!"

Suddenly, the siblings stood in a semicircle as they raised one arm up.

"Rock!" shouted Mei as she raised her fist up.

"Paper!" called Leon as his hand was flat with the palm up.

"Scissors!" yelled Yong Soo as his index and middle fingers stood up.

Matthew blinked while Lovino's amber eyes boggled, "Are you fucking _kidding _me? They're gonna choose who fights you by having a game of rock-paper-scissors?! What the hell!"

"Lovino, calm down," Matthew gave a sheepish chuckle. "It's actually fair, but I want to know why though?"

"It's simple, really," Mei said with a smile. "We all wanted to have that battle with you; but since your starter was a Cubchoo, Leon would be your opponent."

"Unfortunately, my siblings wanted to have a battle with you so badly, they convinced me to do a game of luck and chance instead," concluded Leon, though he looked a bit sour.

"Yeah!" piped up Yong Soo, his grin growing wider. "You're strong, Mattie, but we've been training while you were out, too!"

"Okay, ready?" asked Mei.

"Ready…" mumbled Leon.

"Ready, da ze!" exclaimed Yong Soo.

Lovino sighed, "I guess they have a point there; it's more fair if they do it like that; and it's a bit of an advantage to you, too, _Mateo_! If you get someone who's weak against your Pokémon, you can easily win the fight!"

"Don't forget that they've been training as well," said Matthew, now feeling more nervous.

The three gym leaders chanted in unison as they raised their now clenched fists higher in the air, "Rock…paper…scissors!" they then raised down their hands doing a certain gesture.

Lovino peered at the hands and turned to Matthew, "Well, it looks like you're gonna fight-"

* * *

_And thus ends the chapter, however this is where you, dear readers, come in - you get to choose who Matthew should battle. Either respond by PM-ing me or in a review. So...who should our little Canadian trainer verse? Xiao Mei (Taiwan), Wang Leon (Hong Kong), or Yong Soo (South Korea)? Up to you now!_

_Thoughts and opinions as well? Have a nice day! :DDD_


	16. Third Gym Onstage! Matthew VS Leon!

_Hello all, HetaWriter/HetaReader here. I'm finally back. :)_

_Honestly, I felt as if I was going through a rollercoaster where I felt fine and good on some days, but on other days, I felt so low, tired and unwilling to get out of bed. I actually had quite a bit happening on my neck of the woods - I celebrated Christmas and New Year, had to cope with some family problems (that don't worry, didn't include or were caused by me), had to cheer up a friend who was going through a hard time himself, and also, I had minor surgery done. I developed a vocal fold nodule and I chose to take it out - really, I was scared as, but don't worry, I feel better now. :)_

_I thank each and every one of you for being so patient with me, and I apologize for taking a while to update. Most likely though, my updating times will be erratic because all sorts of things happen in my life. ^^; rest assured, I am not giving up. :D_

_Anyway, a BIG thanks goes to **RiverClan23 **for the fave AND follow; **TarrelYoukai **and **Victoria Hart **for the follows; **Shining Scales **for the fave AND the follow; **Botan04**, **Fyerfly567**, **pofien **and **spiritualnekohime4 **for the fave._

_What I will say is, the votes came in, and who Matthew will verse? It's..._

_Wang Leon! :D_

_**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_"Well, I might be sorry, and I might not do it again."_

* * *

"Leon…" finished Matthew in a breath.

Sure enough, the three Gym leader siblings were seen in a better view – two of the hands were the same, while one was different. Mei and Yong Soo both had their hands made into fists while Leon's hand was a flat palm.

"It seems fate has stayed by my side," said Leon matter-of-factly as he gazed down at his flat palm. "It is me who was supposed to fight Matthew, and so it is I who will remain his opponent."

"You watch too many of Kiku's anime," Yong Soo wrinkled his nose as he groaned in defeat. "But still, that's so unfair! I wanted to fight Mattie, da ze!"

"I know!" Mei also stared sadly at her fist. "But…Leon won fair and square, so…it's reasonable that he's the one who has to battle Matthew. He was supposed to be his opponent in the first place, anyway…"

Matthew was silent during the whole thing, but his eyes never left his opponent.

Leon's face remained impassive and composed, however it was plain to see that his eyes were telling a far more different story. There was a spark that was igniting in those dark orbs – an eager flame burning brightly; ready for battle.

Matthew couldn't help but feel a great knot turn around in his stomach, but at the same time, he was very excited. Sure, he fought Gym leaders before when he challenged Feliciano and Peter, but they didn't exactly…_look _intimidating. But here was an opponent who actually _looked _like he meant serious business.

Yes, Leon would be far more different to Feliciano and Peter.

"…_teo_? _Mateo_!"

"H-huh?" Matthew shook his head and blinked, gazing at his Italian partner.

"I was calling your name for about five minutes, bastard!" snapped Lovino. "Leon wants you on the stage."

"…wait, what?"

Leon cleared his throat, prompting the pair to turn their gazes to him. His face still retained its emotionless front; however there was an amused sparkle in his eyes. He extended his arm out, offering his hand to Matthew.

Unsure, the Canadian boy's hand hesitantly extended and took hold of his opponent's. The next thing he felt, he was pulled up onto stage, prompting Matthew to quickly catch himself as he was hoisted up on the kabuki stage with the three Asian siblings.

"Over here, Mattie, da ze!" Yong Soo looped arms with the Canadian boy and hurriedly dragged him along to the left side of the stage. Matthew gave a surprised gasp as he was unexpectedly pulled along, but quickly caught his footing as the Korean boy yanked him over to his spot.

The Canadian boy noticed then that some kimono girls were beginning to watch backstage. They were curiously poking their heads around the curtains after hearing news that one of their employers was being challenged to a fight.

"Challengers stand here, da ze!" beamed Yong Soo as he pointed at the wooden floor. "The Pokémon fight center stage!"

"What…wait! Wouldn't your stage get wrecked?" Matthew asked, alarmed. "We're really going to fight here?"

"Do not worry," reassured Leon. "The stage is much stronger and sturdier than it appears. Now, where is our referee?"

"Master Leon," one of the kimono girls, the one who had shared the panicking news of Shade's invasion in the Relic Forest, stood from behind the curtains and away from the other kimono girls who then giggled. "You are in need of my services?"

Leon nodded, "Yes. Please, referee our match. One of us promised to accept Matthew's Gym challenge, and that fortunate person is me."

"It would be my honour," the kimono girl gave an elegant bow while the others giggled even more. Matthew noticed that quite a number of them were blushing upon Leon's, calm and steady gaze. However, he noticed that they were now starting to pay attention to him, too – they smiled and giggled even more, as they pointed at him, sounding rather excited.

The Canadian boy flushed as he hurriedly looked away, not used to being the center of attention of people, let alone the center attention of girls.

The kimono girl then stood at the center, but at a great distance back. She cleared her throat; her hands neatly folded at her front as Leon then made his way to the right side of the kabuki theater.

Mei made her way down the stage using some steps. She daintily made her way over to Lovino and took a seat next to him.

Yong Soo patted Matthew's shoulder, "Good luck, Mattie! I'll be rooting for you, da ze!" he then ruffled the Canadian boy's blonde hair and gave a gasp, "Whoaa…your hair is so soft, da ze! How do you get it so soft?" he then noticed the really curly strand of hair that dangled from Matthew's hairline. "Hey! You have one like me, da ze!" he pointed at his curl, which seemed to have a face on it, and that face matched the Korean's expression. "That's so cool, da ze!"

"Excuse me, Yong Soo, but Matthew and I are about to partake a gym challenge," Leon said, his face expressionless, but his tone sounding rather annoyed. "Get off the stage."

Yong Soo stuck his tongue out as he simply leapt off the stage and somersaulted onto the seat on Lovino's other side, startling the Italian.

"Don't do that, kimchi bastard!" snapped Lovino.

"You can do it, Mattie, da ze!" cheered Yong Soo, ignoring the Italian's statement.

Mei shrugged, "He and Leon do that a lot whenever there's a match going with one of them. Yong Soo usually cheers for the challenger when Leon fights, and vice versa goes with Leon. Then again, Leon doesn't really fight that much."

"Why not?" inquired Lovino.

"Matthew's Cubchoo is his own, right?" questioned Mei. Seeing Lovino nod, the Taiwanese girl explained, "Well, most challengers get their first ever Pokémon from Professor Katyusha in Vtoroi Town or Professor Vargas in Bellonora City. Most of them pick the Fire or Water starters, so poor Leon doesn't get challenged as much as Yong Soo and I."

"Damn…" Lovino whistled. "That must suck shit."

"It does," agreed Mei with a heavy sigh. "Which is why he considers every challenge towards him is special. No doubt he'll really treasure this one; Matthew really made an impression on him."

"I see," Lovino nodded. "_Mateo _is capable of leaving a _really _big impression despite his appearance."

"Sssshhhh!" hissed Yong Soo as he flapped his arm in direction to the stage. "They're about to start, da ze!"

Lovino and Mei immediately shut their mouths as they fixated their gazes onto the kabuki theater's stage, now excited for the battle. Yong Soo looked visibly more excited than the pair was, bouncing in his seat.

"This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle," announced the kimono girl who was serving as the referee. "No time limit. Substitutions are allowed to only the challenger. The challenger is…" she hesitated and turned to Matthew, "What is your name again?"

Matthew gave an exasperated sigh, "I'm Matthew…"

"Sorry…I couldn't hear you the first time, what is your name, and where are you from?"

"He is Matthew Williams," Leon responded instead. "He is a trainer from Tatserr Town."

The kimono girl gave a sheepish smile as she bowed, "I apologize, Williams-san. Anyway, the challenger is Matthew Williams of Tatserr Town, and Wang Leon of Liánhuāhana is his opponent. Now, please…" she motioned to the Poké balls situated on his belt. "Pick the two Pokémon you wish to use, since you have a party of five."

'_Two-on-two…'_ Matthew licked his lips as he inspected his belt, contemplating deeply on who to choose in his match.

The only Pokémon he knew that Leon had was a Pansear – he had seen other Pokémon with Leon before when he and Lovino first came into the city and saw him perform, but the Canadian boy wasn't really sure if those Pokémon were also part of Leon's fighting team. For all he knew, they could just be used for show.

'_Who should I use?'_

He began to recall Lovino's teachings with him about elemental types, and immediately crossed out Kumajirou – sure the Cubchoo was his starter, but Leon had a Pansear, which would equal bad news for him.

'_I think I'll use…'_

The Canadian boy hurriedly gave his belt full of Poké balls to Lovino after taking two from them. "Lovino, can you please look after my Pokémon?" he asked.

"_Sí_, of course," the Italian nodded. "I'll look after 'em."

Matthew cleared his throat and returned to his spot on the left side of the stage. He nodded at the kimono girl, signaling he was ready.

"Very well," the kimono girl said with a respectful dip of her head. She then raised her arms, the sleeves of her finely made kimono, drooping down. "Now…let the battle begin!"

"You may take first honour," Leon said, his arms going into his the large sleeves of his _duanghua_ as he gave a bow.

Matthew nodded his head as he then threw his Poké ball out, "Go! Mienfoo!"

"Foo! Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon burst from the white light, punching its paws out, ready for battle.

"Hmm…" Leon arched an eyebrow, but then slowly took his hands out from in their sleeves, revealing a Poké ball between his index and middle finger. He then reared back and threw it out. "Eevee! Standby for battle!"

"Vee! Eevee!" the little Evolution Pokémon yapped, blinking its adorable, brown eyes.

"An Eevee! Those are freaking rare!" called Lovino. "Where the fuck did he get an _Eevee_?!"

"Really? Each of us have one," Mei spoke up, looking rather confused.

"Seriously?" Lovino's eyes widened. "What the fuck?!"

"Eevee…" Matthew couldn't help but smile; it was even cuter up close. The only time he had seen an Eevee before was with his cousin Francis who owned one. He wasn't sure if it evolved or not since Francis had left several years ago on his own journey. The Canadian boy whipped out his Pokédex first to check on Eevee's data.

"_**Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon," **_spoke the Pokédex's mechanical voice. _**"Eevee is a unique Pokémon that can adapt to its environment by changing its form and abilities when evolving thanks to its unstable genetic makeup."**_

"You have the honour of making the first move, too," Leon said with another bow.

Matthew licked his lips and gave a nod as he yelled, "Mienfoo, use Brick Break!"

"Foo…!" Mienfoo rushed forward with great speed, rearing its small arm back, paw glowing white.

"Stand your ground!" Leon commanded despite Mienfoo coming dangerously closer.

"Vee…" Eevee crouched down slightly as Mienfoo started closing in, ready to strike.

"What the fuck does he think he's doing?!" demanded Lovino. "Eevee will get hurt at this rate!"

Mei shook her head, "Leon's style is more…unique actually. He's very calm in situations like these. Eevee will be fine, you'll see."

The Italian however was very doubtful of that – the Taiwanese girl herself looked quite unsure.

At the last moment, when Mienfoo's paw was brought forward to strike Eevee, _just _as the paw almost brushed the Evolution Pokémon's nose, Leon suddenly let his arm out as he commanded, "Use Quick Attack!"

All of a sudden, Eevee ducked its head as it used the said attack, rushing in full speed straight at Mienfoo, effectively dodging the Martial Arts Pokémon's technique and attacking its foe at the same time. Mienfoo was caught by surprise and at once was blown back, however it quickly regained its stance.

Matthew licked his lips, slightly taken aback – he knew that this would be a challenge, but he was at awe at how fast Eevee was. The Canadian boy quickly took charge, "Mienfoo, use Brick Break again!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo lunged forward, its paw glowing white.

Again, Leon and Eevee stood their ground until the last moment where Eevee again used Quick Attack to counter back, its head whacking straight into Mienfoo's stomach, knocking it backwards.

"Ain't gonna work, _Mateo_!" Lovino called from his spot in the audience. "Do something else on the bastard!"

Matthew nodded and shouted, "Mienfoo, use Swift!"

"Foo…foo!" Mienfoo reared its head back, and unleashed the myriad of star-shaped beams right at the Evolution Pokémon.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" ordered Leon as he suddenly went into a stance himself.

"Eee…veee!" the Evolution Pokémon reared back its head and unleashed a shadowy blob, hurling it straight at Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokémon was blow back with a small boom, but lowered its body as it caught its ground.

'_This is far harder than I thought…'_ Matthew licked his lips as he commanded Mienfoo to use another Swift again. However, Leon simply commanded Eevee to use another Shadow Ball.

Sure enough, the Canadian boy began to grow increasingly frustrated as the pressure built within him; whenever he ordered Mienfoo to use Brick Break, Leon would counteract by waiting at the last moment and finally ordering his Eevee to use Quick Attack at close range, which would mean more damage. However, if Matthew ordered Mienfoo to use Swift, then Eevee would just counter with Shadow Ball upon Leon's commands.

"_Mateo_, he's reading your moves!" Lovino shouted, equally frustrated, if not more, than the Canadian boy. "You gotta do something and quick!"

"Y-yeah, okay…" Matthew nodded, but it was clear to see that the pressure was building from within.

"You can do it Mattie, da ze!" cheered Yong Soo as he waved a fist and gave a huge grin. "You can do it! I have faith in you, da ze!"

Matthew grit his teeth after Mienfoo was knocked back again from another Quick Attack. The little Martial Arts Pokémon was now panting, its little body heaving up and down as it was down on one knee.

The Canadian boy clenched his fist; Mienfoo was starting to look tired. He had to think of something and _quickly_.

'_Quickly…?'_

Matthew's violet eyes flew open and they widened as he fixed his gaze right on Mienfoo; first on its small, yet strong paws, then its head. "Hmm…" he nodded. _'That just might work…'_ he then shouted, "Mienfoo, use Swift!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo jumped back up again and reared back its head, unleashing the myriad of star-shaped rays right at its opponent.

"Eevee, counteract with Shadow Ball!" called Leon.

At once, the Evolution Pokémon formed a shadowy blob in its mouth and hurled it straight at Mienfoo's direction, knocking back the star-shaped beams along the way.

"Quickly! Smash through and Brick Break!"

Leon's brown eyes widened slightly on his stoic face as Mienfoo suddenly burst forward in great speed, its paw glowing white as it smashed the Shadow Ball with the move, making it dissipate to nothing, and strike forward, straight at its opponent.

"Veee!" Eevee gave a sharp squeal in pain as Mienfoo's paw made contact with the left side of its body, knocking it a great distance back.

"It's super effective! Fuck yeah!" roared Lovino as Yong Soo whistled in approval. "That's it!"

Straight away, Eevee was in a crumpled heap, its face contorted in pain as it began to slowly pick itself up. However, it was plain to see that Mienfoo's blow took plenty of damage.

Leon narrowed his eyes as he decided to take charge again. "Eevee, use Quick Attack!" he called.

Eevee followed his orders and began dashing forward in great speed, charging right at Mienfoo.

"Use Brick Break, Mienfoo!" shouted Matthew. The Martial Arts Pokémon lunged forward, ready to strike with its glowing paws.

"Maneuver your way!" ordered Leon. "Maneuver your Quick Attack and strike!"

"Eevee! Vee!" Eevee leapt up and effectively dodged Mienfoo's Brick Break and dashed forward again, hitting Mienfoo's stomach with its Quick Attack from elegantly weaving around the Martial Arts Pokémon's technique.

"You can take it, Mienfoo!" Matthew shouted, having complete faith in the little Martial Arts Pokémon. "Swift, now!"

Leon's eyes widened again, his mouth open by just a little bit as Mienfoo then opened its mouth and unleashed the myriad of star-shaped beams right at Eevee. However, since it was at a close range, the attack had a bigger toll than necessary. It clearly showed on how tired Eevee was, too.

"Shadow Ball, Eevee!" commanded the Asian boy, deciding to take charge.

"No you don't!" yelled Matthew. "Use Brick Break, Mienfoo!"

Mienfoo lunged forward, its paws glowing white as it reared back its arm, ready to attack.

"Quick Attack!" shouted Leon, following Matthew's strategy.

"No way!" yelled Matthew, determined. "Use Swift!"

Mienfoo simply chopped the Shadow Ball, causing it to disappear away and reared back its head, unleashing the said technique. Eevee gave a loud squeak of pain as it was blasted backwards upon impact.

Leon's eyes widened even more as he saw his Pokémon lie in a crumpled heap, "Eevee! Can you get up?"

"Vee…" the Evolution Pokémon shakily started going back up on its feet, but eventually, its legs gave way as it fell forward, now seeing stars.

"Eevee is unable to battle!" announced the kimono girl. She raised her arms in Matthew's direction, "Mienfoo is the winner!"

Matthew sighed in relief as he panted; it was really a fast-paced battle this was. He smiled, "Good job, Mienfoo!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo nodded in respect to its trainer as it stretched its arms out more.

Leon took out his Poké ball and returned Eevee. The Asian boy looked at it, "That was a valiant effort, Eevee. Thank you." He placed his hand into his sleeve and called to Matthew, "I am impressed, Matthew – you are very good."

"Oh…! Thank you!" Matthew rubbed the back of his head, feeling rather sheepish at the compliment. "You're really something, too!"

"Indeed," Leon nodded. The spark in his eyes returned, but it glowed into a much larger flame of determination, causing Matthew to become even more alert. Sure enough, the Asian boy then pulled out another Poké ball from his sleeve with it between his index and middle fingers. He then reared his arm back and chucked it forward, "Pansear, I am in need of your assistance!"

Sure enough, once the white light disappeared, Pansear appeared, chattering excitedly, its eyes equally glowing with a bright, determined flame.

"Mienfoo, return," called Matthew, deciding to let the Martial Arts Pokémon rest. He then pulled out his other Poké ball and threw it out, "Go! Chimchar!"

"Char! Chimchar!" the Chimp Pokémon chattered, looking rather excited.

"Monkey vs. monkey?" Mei arched an eyebrow. "This is going to get interesting…"

"Cool, da ze!" Yong Soo beamed. Lovino rolled his eyes as he gazed down at his Canadian partner.

"Let the battle begin!" announced the kimono girl referee.

"Chimchar, use Dig!" called Matthew, taking charge this time.

"Wait, I don't think you should do that!" shouted Mei. When everyone looked at her, she quickly added, "You'll ruin the stage, Matthew!"

"Oh, right…" Matthew's eyes widened in understanding, but then they widened, "Oh no!" his trump card was gone then – he chose Chimchar _specifically _because it knew Dig, and that was a Ground-type technique, which was super effective against a Fire-type like Pansear.

"It seems I am lucky for once," Leon noted, quite surprised himself, but his face dusted red slightly soon after; he almost forgot that they were fighting on a stage. He cleared his throat and simply said, "I guess I shall take charge then; I'll put all my hopes on my last Pokémon! Pansear, use Acrobatics!"

"Acrobatics?" Matthew arched his eyebrow, not hearing about that move before. However, he instantly grew alarmed when Pansear nimbly came forward doing some rather complex somersaulting, striking Chimchar right across the face with its paw.

"Char!" Chimchar cried as it was knocked back. It began rubbing at its face, its eyes rather teary.

"Are you okay, Chimchar?" questioned Matthew in worry; Chimchar looked rather upset.

"Again!" called Leon. At once, Pansear complied, coming forward and lithely striking the Chimp Pokémon after doing a flip and lashing forward. And again, Chimchar was knocked backwards, getting struck on the face again.

"Guh…" Matthew licked his lips as he felt the pressure build; he can't use Dig since there was a risk of breaking the theater, but the only other techniques that Chimchar knew at the moment were Shadow Rush and Flame Wheel, and he didn't think it was a good idea to use those.

One, if he used Shadow Rush, it seemed unfair and it would most likely cause shock with everyone in the room, and the Canadian boy didn't want anyone to be scared. Plus, Leon had a rather bad experience with Shadow Pokémon, and Matthew didn't want to exploit that.

He couldn't use Flame Wheel, either, as it was a Fire-type technique and it would prove to be ineffective against Pansear, who was also of the same type.

'_I can't do anything at all with Chimchar,'_ Matthew thought to himself. _'What am I going to do?'_

Chimchar meanwhile, was getting struck more and more since Matthew was inwardly panicking right now. The damage wasn't that great, but Chimchar wasn't receiving any orders, and it was plain to see that the Canadian boy was nervous as hell. As a result, the Chimp Pokémon became just as nervous and then clutched at its stomach, starting to feel sick.

"Chimchar! What's wrong?" Matthew asked in worry, seeing his Pokémon clutch at its stomach and looking sick.

"Hmm?" Leon paused from giving his command at glanced at Chimchar; now feeling a both cautious and worried.

"What's wrong with Chimchar?" questioned Yong Soo in worry. "It doesn't look so good…"

"The hell would I know?" Lovino asked in response, though he inevitably looked just as concerned. _'It's either going to learn something new, or it's really sick. Hopefully it's the first one…'_

Pansear stopped for a moment and timidly stepped right up to Chimchar as it clutched its stomach. "Sear? Pansear?" it asked as it came closer to the Chimp Pokémon, who was now on its knees as it clutched at its stomach. "Sear?"

"Char…!" Chimchar shook its head, its eyes rather teary as it waved a hand at Pansear's direction, as if to tell it to go away. "Chim…char…!"

"Sear! Pansear, pan!" Pansear spoke more alarmed looking.

"What is it?" questioned Leon, but became surprised upon seeing his High Temp Pokémon suddenly run to Chimchar's back and began smacking at its back, at a particular spot near the bottom of its spine. "Hmm…"

"Chimchar…" Matthew walked forward to his Pokémon and kneeled down. "What's wrong with you?" He leaned down and was about to pick up Chimchar, when suddenly, its eyes widened and it coughed…

…where a purple bubble suddenly escaped from its mouth.

At once, Pansear stopped with what it was doing and Chimchar covered its mouth, looking shocked at what it produced. Matthew immediately backed off and gazed up at the purple bubble; just what was that?

Leon himself was quite surprised and he arched an elegant eyebrow. "A new technique?" he wondered aloud. "How intriguing…"

"Whoa! Mattie's Chimchar is blowing purple bubbles, da ze!" marveled Yong Soo in awe. "I wanna touch one now!"

"Purple blobs?" Mei tilted her head. She then gave a small smile, "It looks pretty."

"Purple blobs…" Lovino narrowed his amber eyes as he gazed at a few more purple bubbles being spat out by Chimchar, only this time, they looked more like blobs if anything; looking far more like sludge. The Italian's eyes widened as he shouted, "Stand back, _Mateo_ don't touch that shit!"

Matthew immediately leapt back in alarm at his partner's call, but Pansear seemed really interested with the purple blobs now; it was trying to touch it. "W-why? What's wrong, Lovino?" questioned the Canadian boy in alarm.

"That's a Poison-type attack! I think that's Toxic!" shouted Lovino. Pansear immediately backed away with a surprised squeak.

Matthew then ran back to his spot as he asked Chimchar, "Chimchar, are you alright, now?"

Chimchar belched a few more purple blobs from Toxic and began panting. Finally, the Chimp Pokémon gave a thumbs-up at its trainer, nodding; ready now. "That's a relief," Matthew sighed. He then shouted, "We'll try it out! Chimchar, use Toxic!"

"Char…" Chimchar coughed and purple blobs were shot out from its mouth straight at Pansear.

"Dodge with Acrobatics!" ordered Leon calmly, though still unnerved from the situation. At once the High Temp Pokémon nimbly moved around, dodging the blobs by somersaulting and flipping around.

"Chimchar, use Toxic again!" shouted Matthew, noticing the purple blobs all over the center stage. A plan was formulating in his mind.

"Char…!" Chimchar unleashed more purple blobs from its mouth. And again, Leon commanded for his Pansear to dodge the Poison-type technique with bouts of Acrobatics. This happened two more times until eventually, Leon's eyes widened upon realization.

The stage's floor was littered with purple blobs of Toxic's poison that won't affect the user itself.

"Sea-Sear!" Pansear called to its trainer in concern as it looked down at the purple blobs, catching on quickly with its opponent's trainer's plan.

"Chimchar, use Toxic one more time!" ordered Matthew.

"Char!" the Chimp Pokémon unleashed one more bout of Toxic right at Pansear.

"Pansear, one more time, use Acrobatics!" called Leon.

"Sear!" Pansear immediately flipped and began nimbly moving around in an attempt to dodge Chimchar's Poison-type technique, but that was when, its foot suddenly lodged into one of the blobs of poison on the wooden floor.

"No…" Leon's eyes widened upon seeing the poison of Toxic quickly seep through Pansear's skin. The High Temp Pokémon at once began to feel the effects of the Toxic poison and it shuddered as it started to feel dizzy and much slower.

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel!" Matthew called, though he wasn't sure if he should even use that attack since it and Pansear consisted of the same type. Also, upon impact, all of a sudden, the purple poison blobs from Toxic immediately dissipated, leaving a rough and slightly beaten, yet usable stage.

Chimchar's mouth was now engulfed in flames and it dashed forward, leaping up and then rolling into a ball of flames as it rushed right at Pansear.

"Use Acrobatics again!" commanded Leon, now feeling up high from adrenaline, and more determined. "Hurry!"

Pansear nimbly dodged the Flame Wheel and struck down at Chimchar after applying a kick to one of its somersaults, knocking Chimchar back.

"Bite now!" ordered Leon going into another stance.

The High Temp Pokémon ran forward and immediately clamped its now sharped jaws onto Chimchar's arm, causing a loud yelp to emanate from the Chimp Pokémon.

"Finish this off with Acrobatics!" shouted Leon.

Pansear then nimbly struck at Chimchar multiple times, executing all sorts of neat flips and tricks while attacking the Chimp Pokémon. Poor Chimchar squeaked and cried in pain as it continuously got hit by all of the oncoming attacks. It was eventually knocked backwards after Pansear leapt into a ball and kicked at Chimchar with both its feet after getting slapped across the face.

"A lot of damage, da ze!" cried Yong Soo.

"Chimchar!" called Matthew. "Can you get up?" seeing the Chimp Pokémon attempt to stand up, however it gave way and began seeing stars, obviously knocked out.

"Chimchar is unable to battle," announced the kimono girl referee. She then raised her arms in Leon's direction, "Pansear is the winner."

"Ack…" the Canadian boy sighed as he returned his Pokémon. "You did great." Matthew then took out his Poké ball and threw it, "Go, Mienfoo!"

"Foo! Mienfoo!" the little Martial Art Pokémon gave a war cry as it jabbed its fists, ready for battle again.

"Both of us with only one Pokémon left," Leon said; his eyes were now great flames. "The deciding battle…anything can happen…now Pansear, use Acrobatics!"

At once, the High Temp Pokémon lunged forward, nimbly striking at Mienfoo, causing it to squeak in shock and pain.

"_Mateo_, Acrobatics is a Flying-type move!" shouted Lovino. "Be careful!"

Matthew nodded and licked his lips as he ordered, "Mienfoo, use Swift!"

"Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon reared its head back and unleashed a myriad of star-shaped beams right at Pansear.

"Pansear, Acrobatics to dodge!" commanded Leon.

At once, the High Temp Pokémon followed orders and nimbly began dodging the rays with great skill. However, it winced as it clutched at its stomach, obviously still affected from Chimchar's Toxic from earlier.

Leon narrowed his eyes, "I see…Chimchar's Toxic…that was a good attack…Pansear, quickly use Flame Burst!"

"Sear!" Pansear then unleashed a bursting flame from its mouth, shooting straight at Mienfoo, causing it to cry and get knocked backwards.

"Mienfoo, you can do it! Use Brick Break!" shouted Matthew.

"Foo!" Mienfoo sniffed and lashed its arm out, lunging forward with its paws glowing white.

"Use Acrobatics to dodge!"

At once, this chain began to stretch out for a bit more time – Mienfoo would attack with Brick Break or Swift while Pansear dodged with Acrobatics. In return, Pansear would either try to attack with Acrobatics or Flame Burst, or Bite. It looked evenly matched, but everyone knew that someone had to win sooner or later.

"Pansear, use Flame Burst, full power!" ordered Leon, now looking visibly determined.

Pansear then reared back its head and threw it forward, unleashing a great amount of flames right at Mienfoo.

"Mienfoo, dodge!" called Matthew.

The little Martial Arts Pokémon then followed the order, but all of a sudden, Leon called, "Pansear, quickly now! Unleash Acrobatics!"

"Sear! Pan…sear!" the High Temp Pokémon ran forward, nimbly applying nicely executed punches and kicks during its acrobatic bouts. Mienfoo squeaked in pain as it was attacked multiple times.

"Now one more time, Flame Burst to end this combo!" called Leon.

Pansear unleashed the Fire-type technique, but Mienfoo dodged upon Matthew's order. The burst of flames suddenly went skyward as Pansear began to dizzily walk around. Eventually, it then fell over onto its back, the flames bursting high.

"Pansear!" called Leon. "The poison from Toxic…can you get up?"

"Sear…" Pansear was now seeing stars, getting knocked out.

"Pansear is unable to battle!" announced the kimono girl referee. She then raised her arms in Matthew's direction. "The winner is Mienfoo! The match is over, and the winner is the challenger, Matthew Williams, of Tatserr Town!"

The Canadian boy was shocked at first, but when realization settled in, a big beam spread across his face as he shouted, "I…I did it! I beat Leon! I can't believe it! My God! Good job, Mienfoo! That was great!"

Leon sighed as he walked over to his Pansear. He knelt down on one knee and tenderly picked it up in his arms, cradling it, "Are you alright, partner?"

"Sea…sear…" Pansear said feebly with a small smile as the effects of the poison from Chimchar's Toxic left it. It nodded and looked a bit sad though.

"Do not look so distraught," Leon said as he patted Pansear's head. "You fought valiantly and with honour." He then stood up and allowed Pansear to crawl onto his shoulders. "I…" he heaved a heavy sigh as he gazed at Matthew. "I lost. You are quite remarkable."

Matthew flushed, "I'm not that remarkable. Honestly, I think it was dumb luck that I beat you…"

"Even then," Leon said. "Fate chose that luck to be bestowed upon you." He then took a case from the kimono girl that refereed, "It is the Pokémon League's rule," he then opened the case revealing the badge from within. "Please, take this Badge. The Trio Badge."

"Thank you…" Matthew breathed as he took the Trio Badge in shaky fingers. "Yes! I got the Trio Badge!"

Leon felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards, almost pulled into a smile; that look of joy on the Canadian's face was nice to behold. He shut his eyes, his blood still pumping and the sweat still riding down his face, but he felt a great wave of relief flow over him. _'That was a good battle,'_ he thought to himself. _'I haven't had one like that for a long time.' _He then cleared his throat to speak some more, "Gym badges are proof of a trainer's abilities. Now, with the Trio Badge, you can use the technique Rock Smash anytime outside of battle. Please…take this also…"

He then reached into his sleeve and pulled out disk. Matthew took the white-coloured disk and thanked the Asian gym leader.

"That's TM83!" called Mei as she beamed. "That contains Work Up. If you use Work Up, then the Pokémon's Attack and Special Attack go up!"

"You won, Mattie, da ze!" exclaimed Yong Soo as he leapt from his seat and dashed straight at the Canadian boy, immediately enveloping him in a hug. "That was an awesome match, da ze!" he then beamed. "TM's are marvelous things. They also originated from Korea!"

Lovino followed the Korean boy onstage and nodded in Matthew's direction as he patted the Canadian boy's shoulder, "Well, congrats. You now have three out of eight badges."

Matthew smiled, "I-I know…I'm so proud of my Pokémon."

Before anyone else could say or do anything, a familiar voice laced with a Russian accent called, "_Privet_! So, how did it go?"

Everyone looked around to see Ivan entering the gym with a big beam on his face. Before anyone could respond to his question, there was a shriek as a loud explosion emanated from backstage.

All of a sudden, more loud explosions resounded from within the _kabuki_ theater and before everyone knew it, colourful lights were shot around and some rockets whizzed around the stage. Mei squealed in surprised when one flew right past her head. Lovino gave a (manly) high-pitched scream when another shot past from in between his legs. The Italian quickly grabbed onto Matthew's arm.

"Firecrackers?" Ivan tilted his head innocently.

Leon scratched his head, "Strange…I did not set those off…" his eyes then widened in realization. "Or did I?" he remembered during the battle, Pansear had fallen on its back and thus, its Flame Burst shot up; some of the embers must have landed backstage and onto the ropes of the firecrackers, prompting them to explode after some time.

"Leon!" Mei squawked. "The stage is ruined now! What will Yao say when he sees this?!"

"_Hyeong_~!" cried Yong Soo.

"It feels nice, a Pokémon battle, _da_?" Ivan cut in, beaming down at Matthew. "Your heart pumping, your blood rushing, and the wave of euphoria. It is…hard to explain though, _da_?"

Matthew smiled softly as he nodded, "Yeah, it does."

Leon also nodded in agreement, "Indeed. It feels great to battle."

"It feels _awesome _to battle!" exclaimed Yong Soo. "And battling originated from Korea, da ze!"

"Why the hell do you keep saying that everything originated from fucking Korea?" demanded Lovino.

"Because everything did, da ze!"

"Yong Soo, just shut up already!" snapped Mei. The Korean boy stuck his tongue out at the Taiwanese girl, who paid no attention to him as she continued, "So, where are you two going now? To Caesura, I'm sure."

"You will need a boat to get there faster, though," remarked Leon. "Otherwise, things will get harder if you just walk there."

"Is there a boat that we can use?" questioned Matthew.

"Sahil City has one," piped up Ivan. "_Da_, it _is _a port city after all. I also heard of a cruise that is there."

Here, Mei squealed in delight, "The S.S. Tidal, right?"

Ivan smiled, "_Da_, that one. It only comes in once every two years. It is a lovely place for relaxation. That cruise ship will get you to Sahil City, no problem. After all, it is a ship that circles around the world, _da_?"

"That's great, but we don't have freaking tickets!" yelled Lovino.

Ivan nodded, disregarding the Italian's sharp tone and began rubbing his chin, "Hmm…that _is_ a problem…"

All of a sudden, Matthew's pocket began buzzing as a ring came on. The Canadian boy whipped out his P*DA from his pocket as everybody came closer.

"Oh! My P*DA received an email," Matthew said in surprise as he began looking through it.

"Who the hell is it this time?" inquired Lovino exasperatedly. "It better not be my stupid _fratellino _again!"

"No, no, it's not," Matthew squinted his violet eyes from behind his glasses. "It's from…Arthur?"

Lovino arched an eyebrow, "The tea sucker?" he became interested at once. "Maybe he's got some shit about Shade. What the hell has he got to say? Quick, _Mateo_! Let's check it out!"

"Hmm…" Ivan's eyes narrowed as everyone leaned in even closer as Matthew opened the message that the British man sent him.

The message was a shocking one.

"Emergency!" read Matthew. "Matthew, Lovino, there is a great deal of trouble! I just received word from someone that Mt. Battle is under attack by a mysterious group of thugs. Please, can you go help? We think it's the same group of wankers as the one that twit Ace had belonged to. I cannot go over myself to go help; I have business to attend to. Please, we're counting on you!"

"Whaaat?" shrieked Mei. "Those same crooks from the Relic Forest are loose on Mt. Battle now?!"

"But…" Leon's eyes then widened. "That means…"

Ivan suddenly fled from the gym almost immediately, which shocked the crap out of both Matthew and Lovino. The three Asian siblings looked after the Russian in worry.

"What the hell?! Where are you fucking going, you pipe bastard!" exclaimed Lovino.

"I-Ivan!" Matthew called, only for the Russian to be gone. "He left so quickly…"

"_Hyeong_ looks after Mt, Battle," explained Yong Soo worriedly. "He could be in danger!"

"_Hyeong_?" Matthew asked. "

"Our eldest brother, Yao," explained Leon. "He is in charge of Mt. Battle, and looks after it like it is his second home."

"Yao's not as young anymore! This is awful!" cried Mei. "He could get severely hurt!"

"Okay, we'll go to Mt. Battle then," reassured Matthew. He then blushed, "But…um…I'm sorry, but…"

"Where the hell is Mt. Battle, anyway?" questioned Lovino. "I've heard of it, but it's all vague."

"Mt. Battle is to the northeast from here," responded Leon. "You can see it in the distance once you leave the city. Now, please hurry! Brother Yao could be in danger, and Ivan may need your assistance, too."

"Right…" Matthew nodded. "Let's go!"

"_Sí_," Lovino responded with a nod himself. "Let's."

* * *

_And thus the chapter comes to a conclusion. Just what will happen to our heroes? Is Yao okay? How about Ivan? Back to our Shade plot!_

_Anyway, how was it? I'm sorry if it doesn't go on par like my writing before; I'm still quite rusty...TT_TT_

_Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day. :)))_


	17. Trouble at Mt Battle

_Hello again, HetaWriter/HetaReader here, bringing to you another chapter!_

_Anyway, how about we get to the point now? A big thanks to **AliasAlliance**,** Ayumi Kudou **and **serenity-topaz** for the reviews! :D_

_**AliasAlliance:** Haha, yes I'm back - I apologize for leaving for quite a while. I'm not that rusty? That's good to hear. :) I try my best with those Pokemon battles - I want to create a picture of what's happening with just words to paint as the paint. I don't think I can ever give up on this story, so don't worry. XD  
_

_**Ayumi Kudou:** Thank you very much; it's good to be back. :)  
_

_**serenity-topaz:** Well, Eevee are pretty rare, so maybe Lovino might not have seen one? XD Actually, Chimchar's relearning of Toxic was supposed to be a, "OMG WTF LOL!" moment, really...XD just to break the tense atmosphere for a moment. Haha, yeah I had to make it even - because what kind of a match is it if the gym leader is a cinch? And Leon is certainly not a pushover. :) China is my second favourite character actually (after Spain), I myself am the China in my circle of friends. XD you have a Victini? I could never get my hands on those things...TTnTT  
_

_"Who are you?! Get out, aru!"  
_

* * *

The pair travelled as fast as their legs would allow in order to make it to Mt. Battle after obtaining directions from Mei, Leon and Yong Soo. They stocked up on supplies (including Super Potions and Antidotes) beforehand just in case something horrendous were ever to happen to Matthew's Pokémon, and moved forward.

Once they arrived, both the Canadian and the Italian were in awe of Mt. Battle.

Mt. Battle consisted of a mountain; the mountain itself was exceedingly large and appeared to be so gigantic, that its top wasn't visible – it was high up and covered by white clouds. Its surface was made of rocky crags and there appeared to be metallic piping and platforms. There were two statues near the front gateway, which led to a small building at the mountain's bottom.

The front gateway consisted of a neat yard with a fountain that had lotus flowers floating breezily on its clear surface and the garden was cleanly cut.

However, that was where Matthew and Lovino saw Ivan.

And he was confronting a rather large-bodied Shade Peon. This one was well built, muscular and was wearing white armour and a helmet of the same colour.

"If you know what's good for you, pal; you'd leave while you still can!" snapped the brawny Shade Peon.

"That's exactly what I was going to say to you…" Ivan said in a deathly calm voice, his violet eyes flashing threateningly. "Kolkolkol…"

"W-what the was with the creepy chant just then?" demanded the Shade Peon, looking rather disturbed. "You think that'll intimidate me?!" He suddenly caught sight of Matthew and Lovino, causing him to smirk as he took out a Poké ball, "Go! Aggron! Start with those pipsqueaks over there!"

Aggron unleashed a beastly roar as it began charging in their direction.

"Shit!" screeched Lovino as he then backed away and clutched at Matthew's arm. "CHIGIIII!"

"Oh no!" squeaked Matthew, too frightened to move.

The pair thought for the moment that they were both going to be rammed by the Aggron, but all of a sudden, Ivan leapt right in front of them and took a Poké ball from inside his great coat. He then threw it and when the white light disappeared, another roar echoed throughout the courtyard of Mt. Battle.

Ivan's Pokémon was revealed to be a Beartic.

Matthew gazed at the Freezing Pokémon in awe as it reared back, its upper arms now beating at its chest as it gave another ferocious roar. _'So Kuma will evolve into him…'_ the Canadian boy breathed, eyes sparkling.

"Beartic. Blizzard…" commanded Ivan coldly as he took off the faucet pipe from the strap on his back.

Immediately, Ivan's Beartic gave another roar as it swung its head around and opened its mouth wider. A light blue orb of energy formed in front of it. Beartic then fired a powerful wind with snow inside it from the light blue orb, straight at its opponent.

Aggron gave a roar of outrage from being attacked straight in the face by Beartic's Blizzard. The brawny Shade Peon yelled, "Aggron, use Iron Head!"

"Grrron!" Aggron snarled as it came forward and slammed into Beartic's stomach with its steel-hard head. The attack didn't seem to bother Beartic that much as the Freezing Pokémon simply growled and grabbed hold of Aggron's horns with its massive, frost-white paws. Aggron snarled in response and grabbed at Beartic's paws, slowly and shakily taking them away from its horns with its own great strength.

Soon, Beartic and Aggron were snarling at each other as both had their paws intertwined, ready to throw the other down and prove who was stronger.

"Beartic, stand your ground," ordered Ivan in a deathly calm voice. He exhaled, "This…I guess I have to stay and take care of this fool…_da_, I will guard the front just in case more come to show their stupid faces," his purple eyes darted to the side, right at Matthew and Lovino. "The both of you go on ahead and see if Yao is okay. I need to be reassured that he's okay. If anything bad has happened to him…" he cut off, obviously worried, and his once threatening and frightening appearance dissipated at the thought.

"Don't worry," promised Matthew sincerely. "You can count on us."

"Y-yeah…" Lovino nodded, still shaken from Ivan's previous appearance. "Just don't fucking push yourself too hard though, pipe bastard!"

Ivan nodded, "Now go! Go!"

The pair didn't need to be told anymore as they ran straight into the building, which was revealed to be a lobby. There was a counter straight at the middle with a door leading back, as well as pay-phones, a healing machine, and another counter with various items on it.

There were people in there, too. They all looked worried, nervous and scared of what was happening right now.

"It's terrible, terrible!" a female athlete gasped. "Mt. Battle is under attack by a group of shady people! They forced us in here!"

"Thinking about taking the Mt. Battle challenge?" asked a man wearing glasses. "Forget about it! I'd keep clear of that place for now. Mt. Battle's been taken over by a bunch of trainers who use weird Pokémon."

"Well, that confirms the tea bastard's fucking suspicions," Lovino said to Matthew who simply nodded.

"I can't believe Mt. Battle's been overrun by a group of thugs," groaned a male athlete who was pacing around. "Really, this is a disaster!"

"This is a distinguished place of training for honourable trainers," roared an old man with a cane. "What is the meaning of his outrage?! Those attackers…how dare they attack others without any regard for the rules?! They're failures as trainers!"

A male ace trainer sitting on one of the seats looked really pissed off as well as he was being bandaged by a female teacher, "This really sucks, man! I was gonna partake the Mt. Battle challenge! Gonna crush a hundred trainers in a row to get to the Mt Battlemaster, only to get myself crushed by some weird-as Pokémon! Owww…! _Literally_ crushed!"

"Stay still," the female teacher sighed as she bandaged the ace trainer's arm, "I honestly can't believe that the Pokémon and those trainers would really attack people! This poor, young man _and _his Pokémon were beaten really badly…I hope Mr. Wang will be okay…"

The pair went up to the nurse at the healing machine who nodded, "Whatever the situation is, I can't abandon my duties. Would you like your Pokémon to be healed?"

"Not now at the moment," said Lovino who leaned close to the counter. "But we'll probably need your services later…"

After talking to the trapped people, Matthew and Lovino went up to the receptionist who was also revealed to be a pretty, young woman. "No! I'm sorry, but Mt. Battle is temporarily closed," she apologized with an extremely worried expression etched onto her beautiful face. "I just don't know what to do with those thugs around…"

"We're here to help," spoke up Matthew firmly.

"Oh!" the receptionist gasped. "You must be the ones who Mr. Kirkland had told me about! You see, it was me who contacted Mr. Kirkland for help. I didn't think you would get here so quickly. Oh, thank you for coming! But, please, be careful out there though. The power of their Pokémon isn't normal…"

"Don't worry about us, _bella_," said Lovino. "We'll be fine."

The receptionist nodded and sidestepped out of the way to let the pair through. The door slid to the right and after exchanging glances, Matthew and Lovino went right on through.

They ran up path which led onto a metallic platform that was held up only by thick wires, a gigantic fan blowing underneath it, and possibly a pipe from its very bottom as they were a considerable height from the ground already. The first platform had a red one painted on its surface.

There was also a male rider who caught sight of the pair. He immediately confronted them, "Whoops, hold on. Aren't you mistaking something? All training has been put on hold. But if you really must, then sure. I'll battle you." He was crushed by Mathew soon after, though, and he cried, "You don't need any training! Urrgh…Master Keith will reprimand me…"

The pair continued onto the next platform, which consisted of a number two painted on its surface. On it was a male hunter who walked up to them on sight. "Hm? Turo took a fall, did he? I could never count on that guy," he scoffed. "Well, I'll just think of it as there being more for me to enjoy! Come on!" however, upon his defeat, he screamed, "Argh! I'm going to get reprimanded, too!"

Going up a set of stairs, this time, the pair were on a platform with the number three painted on the surface. As well as a female rider. She arched an eyebrow at the Canadian and the Italian, "What's going on? Both Turo and Drovic went down? That's weak. I'm not going down easily!" however, she was beaten like the pair before her. She snarled, "I went down easily! Just today I'll back of easily!"

The pair continued their way and went onto a platform with the number four this time. There was another male rider. He laughed haughtily upon catching sight of Matthew and Lovino, "Ha! That trio you've already defeated, if I likened them to food, they would only be hors d'oeuvres. The real battling begins now!" he got defeated just like the three before him, and he cried, "Please, no! The real battles begin after me!"

Platform five consisted of a female hunter. She blinked at the pair, "Wow…you've come a long, long way from home. You should be proud of yourselves. But prepare for a thrashing. I never miss targets once I get them in my sights!" she was beaten just like the others, and to that, she seethed, "My target got away! The next time we meet, I really _won't _let you escape!"

The next platform, platform six, had a female street performer. She grinned, "Hello, hello, hello! If you want to get by me, you have to watch my performance! Okay, let the show begin!" her performance got cut off though, by Matthew beating her. She sobbed, "My performance is ruined! Nobody would pay to see my show…"

Onward to platform seven, this time another male hunter stood there. "All six were defeated?" he scoffed upon confronting Matthew and Lovino. "Sheesh, what were those incompetents doing? This is where the buck stops!" however, he was crushed just like the others. He screamed, "You put an end to me! You made me lose! They're not going to hire me ever again after all this!"

"There are three more platforms with these Shade bastards before we finish one whole area, apparently," said Lovino. "You ready, _Mateo_?"

Matthew nodded, his violent eyes glowing in determination, "Yes, I'm good and ready. How about you?"

The Italian responded with a nod as his eyes narrowed, "I'm gonna expect more Shadow Pokémon, so of course I have to be fucking ready."

Matthew gave a small smile at hearing Lovino's cursing, "That's good…let's go."

"_Sí_, let's."

And so, the pair continued on their descent of the first area and went onto platform number eight. However, this one had a female Shade Peon. She sighed when Matthew and Lovino came onto her platform. "I guess we'll all a little guilty of underestimating you," she admitted. "You've earned some respect, but I'll make you regret ever having come here!" however, she ate her words and was beaten. She groaned, "It isn't right! I shouldn't lose! I shouldn't have battled you in the first place…"

Another Shade Peon was waiting for the pair on the ninth platform. A male one. "You've done well to get here," he remarked. "But there's no next battle for you after this. I'll destroy you thoroughly!" but it was he who took the beating. He shouted, "Why are you so outrageously strong?! Don't get a swelled head just because you beat me! Master Keith will deflate your pride real quick!"

"Master Keith?" Matthew asked in question. "That name sounds familiar…"

"Oi, _Mateo_! Wasn't he mentioned when you kicked that Shade Peon's ass in the Relic Forest?" spoke up Lovino after a moment of thought.

Matthew's eyes widened upon realization, "Oh, yes! I remember."

Lovino narrowed his amber eyes, "_Mateo_, this one sounds like he means business, so I think we should go back one last time to heal up your Pokémon. It's good to prepare before kicking bastard ass."

The Canadian boy nodded, "Yeah, I know…"

And that was why the pair returned to the lobby for a moment where Matthew could heal his Pokémon at the restore machine. While his Pokémon were getting healed, the Canadian boy felt an unsettling feeling envelope in his stomach. He licked his lips and bit the bottom one as he thought to himself, _'What lies ahead on the final platform of the first area? What if this guy is insanely strong? Can I really beat him?'_

Lovino noticed that his partner seemed on edge and roughly shook his shoulder, "Oi, _Mateo_. You okay?"

Matthew gave a start as he looked at the Italian, "O-oh! Don't worry about me, Lovino. I'm just nervous, that's all…" after seeing Lovino's skeptical amber eyes, the Canadian boy sighed, "Well, no…I'm scared actually…what if this Keith is insanely strong?"

Lovino sighed and shook his head, "We didn't come this far just to back down, _Mateo_. Look at everyone here in the lobby – they're all depending on you. Will you really give up on them?"

Matthew gazed at the people in the lobby and shook his head, "No, of course I won't. I really just don't know what's going to happen with this Keith guy…"

Lovino gave another exasperated sigh and gripped both of Matthew's shoulders so they were eye-to-eye, "Look, _Mateo_ – I'm scared, too."

"Really?" Matthew asked in complete surprise.

Here, the Italian flushed madly, "_Sí_, I'm scared as hell, don't give me that fucking look!" he cleared his throat as he continued, "But I still stay by you; seriously, I could've run off like a bitch a long time ago, but I didn't. You know why?" seeing Matthew nod his head, Lovino finished, "It's because I have a shit load amount of faith in you – I _know _you can do this, no fucking problem!"

Matthew's violet eyes widened, "You…really think so?"

Lovino sighed, "Didn't I just say it before? I _know_ so."

The Canadian boy was silent for a moment, allowing the Italian's words to sink in and after a few moments, a smile spread on his face as his tense shoulders began to relax. He nodded, "You're right. Absolutely right. Thank you, Lovino. Or should I say _grazie_?"

Lovino snorted as he took his hands off of Matthew's shoulders, "Your accent sucks when speaking my home language, but I'll let it slide. Now, come on – you have a bastard's ass to kick!"

Matthew nodded, "Yeah, I do!"

And so, in a mad dash (thanks to Lovino's running abilities), the pair quickly made their way back to the final platform, which had a huge number ten painted in red on its metallic surface.

They watched the scene enfolding before them.

There was a large and bulky, dark-skinned man who was wearing sunglasses as well as a white shirt, black army pants and with a leather jacket, towering over a much shorter Chinese man who had dark hair tied into a ponytail, confronting him. The Chinese man had brown eyes that were burning in a determined flame filled with obstinacy and resolve that was very familiar of an Asian that Matthew had fought before. The Chinese man was also wearing a red mandarin shirt with oversized sleeves, white trousers and black slippers.

"Fine!" scoffed the large man. "After all the persuading I did, you _still _won't hand it over." He then lowered his hand, "Hmph! This is what happens to stubborn little bitches that don't do as I fucking say!"

The Chinese man instantly lowered his hand to his belt, which had Poké balls on it, but all of a sudden, got punched right on his stomach. He stumbled back until a loud crack resounded, shattering the air.

"Oh my God…!" gasped Matthew as Lovino squirmed uncomfortably beside him.

"_Ai ya!_" the Chinese man yelped as he clutched at his hip. "M-my hip! You…you treacherous pig!" he snarled. "How could you refuse to battle, aru?! Urgh!" he clutched it as he fell to his knees and eventually all fours.

The man laughed, "Hahaha! _Treacherous_? You didn't really think that a faggot like you could win against me? Shade Admin Keith?"

Matthew and Lovino exchanged glances, both of their eyes widened as they looked back at the scene unfolding before them.

"All you had to do was hand over the fucking Time Flute without making a damn fuss," scoffed Keith as he circled the Chinese man. He then placed a foot right onto the Chinese man's back and added pressure, making the poor Asian go on his stomach. "It's your own fault for getting hurt," Keith rubbed his chin. "Since you're not cooperating, I don't have any choice but to haul you off to Zoey's lab."

Lovino couldn't take any more of the abuse that the Chinese man was going through and gave a loud outburst. "What kind of a pathetic bastard are you?!" he demanded. "Beating up some frail, old Chinese guy like that?!"

"_Ai ya_, I'm not that old, aru!" the Chinese man shouted.

"Yeah!" spoke up Matthew. "That wasn't fair at all!"

Keith then turned around, "Hm? Who are you? What were my underlings doing?" he then lowered his sunglasses and peered through squinted eyes to take a better look at Matthew, revealing he had very deep brown eyes. "Hmm…you must be the troublemaker who messed with Skrub in Celebi's forest!"

"W-what…aru…?!" gasped the Chinese man in shock upon hearing the shocking statement.

"And now you've come to mess with me, the great Shade Admin, Keith!" the man snorted as he snarled, "Don't make me laugh! I'll pound a lesson into your flesh and bones, so you'll never even think of bothering me a-fucking-gain!"

Matthew sighed, "He could give Lovino a run for his money when it comes to foul language…"

"Shut up, Mateo," snapped Lovino. He then took a step back as he yelped, "Chigi! Prepare yourself! He wants a fight!"

Keith took his foot off from the Chinese man's back and slammed it down on the ground, causing a loud bang to reverberate throughout Mt. Battle. He then opened his jacket and took out a Poké ball as he lowered his shades back into place.

* * *

_Yes, I ended on a cliffhanger. To those who are confused as to who Keith is, he is Molossia - a micronation in Nevada. Anyway, the next chapter will be Matthew's "boss" fight against Shade Admin Keith. _

_Tune in for: a really shocking surprise and a more relieving moment._

_To those who want to take a shot at what my shocking surprise in the next chapter is, to those who've played Colosseum, it won't be a surprise then. ^^; to those who haven't, here's the clue: _Porthos.

_Thoughts and opinions? Leave your answer in a review or PM me. I'll PM you if you're correct. XD Anyway, have an awesome day, guys! :DDD_


	18. The Clash With Shade Admin Keith!

_Greetings, HetaWriter/HetaReader here. I apologize for the late update, but don't worry - the next one will hopefully not take too long. Well, I celebrated Chinese New Year and Valentines Day, so understandably I was quite busy. I've also been updating Truffles and a Hammer and HetaVoice, so...^^; _

_Basically, a crap load of stuff was happening. XD_

_Anyway, a BIG thanks to **Ayumi Kudou**, **AliasAlliance**, **hetaliaforever123** and **serenity-topaz **for the reviews! :D_

**_Ayumi Kudou:_**_ Molossia's pretty underloved, in my opinion. Haha, I was really unsure whether or not to include swearing at first in this story, since it's Pokemon, but Lovino not swearing was just too weird, so I just included it in. XD I actually didn't know that - I'll take a look at it when I have the chance. :)_

**_AliasAlliance:_**_ Sorry for not updating quickly...TT_TT Yes, they finally meet him! :D Porthos will be revealed in this chapter, but it's a shocker (hopefully ^^;). I'll also reveal why the clue was Porthos in the first place to those who might get confused._

**_hetaliaforever123:_**_ Yes, because though Mattie is a nice guy, we all know he can be a little snarky at times. XD Thank you again for the support, as always. :)_

**_serenity-topaz: _**_I recommend listening to "Pokemon Colosseum Cipher Admin Battle Theme" if you want to immerse yourself in music while reading this chapter. ) that theme certainly inspired the chapter. Yes, that's how Yao is - he will never admit that he is ol- *ducks before getting whacked by a flying wok that was originally aimed at you* XD yes, if you've read the strip involving Sealand wanting to befriend other micronations, Molossia's quite potty-mouthed (and more adult-looking compared to the others)._

_I don't know if you guys will approve of the shock, but I'm trying to follow Colosseum primarily, and the other Pokemon games, too. However, there will be major changes to certain points._

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon._

_"I'm Canada!"_

_"CHIGI!"_

* * *

He suddenly yanked out another Poké ball from inside his jacket and gave a smirk, "Going double! Can you beat me, bitch?!" and with that, he reared his arms back and threw both of them out onto the platform.

Once the huge amount of white light disappeared, a Marshtomp and a Metang were seen in the pair's line of view.

"A Metang?" Matthew asked as he pulled out his Pokédex; curious.

"_**Metang, the Iron Claw Pokémon and the evolved form of Beldum," **_said the Pokédex's electronic voice. _**"It is formed by two Beldum joining together. Its two brains are linked, amplifying its psychic power."**_

Matthew's eyes widened as he then remembered Keith's words, and stuttered, "A-a…double battle? What…?"

"_Mateo_!" spoke up Lovino, feeling inwardly worried. "Don't panic! It's just a normal Pokémon battle, but with two Pokémon at your disposal. You command both of them to attack whoever the hell you want! You can do it!"

"U-Um…" the Canadian boy looked carefully at the two Pokémon sent before him and exhaled. _'Crap…this is the first time I've ever done a double battle…will I be able to make it?' _by looking at his Italian partner, who gave him a nod, Matthew licked his lips and pulled out two Poké balls from his belt. _'I have to make it…'_ he thought to himself firmly. "Go! Pidgeotto and Chimchar!" he shouted as he chucked both balls out into the platform.

"Char! Chimchar!" the Chimp Pokémon chattered excitedly.

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon flapped its wings as it looked equally determined for battle.

"Since you're a bitch with no chance, I'll let you have the first fucking move," Keith smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Matthew felt his eye twitch, and inside, he was starting to boil, but nonetheless, the Canadian simply exhaled and kept his cool. "Fine…" Matthew grumbled. "Chimchar, use Flame Wheel on Metang!" commanded Matthew as he pointed at the Iron Claw Pokémon. He then pointed at Marshtomp, "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack on Marshtomp!"

"Char…Chimchar!" the Chimp Pokémon instantly had its mouth engulfed in flames as it leapt and began spinning into a ball, slamming straight into Metang, causing it to give a cry as it was blasted backwards.

Likewise, Pidgeotto gave a screechy war-cry as it then folded its wings and sped right at Marshtomp at a high speed, slamming straight into the Mudfish Pokémon, who also got knocked back.

Keith smirked as he sniffed, "Not bad for a bitch, but taste this shit! Metang, use Earthquake!"

"Earthquake?" Matthew asked in confusion, only for Lovino to shriek at the top of his lungs, _"Chigi_!"

Metang suddenly floated up a bit and let outs its clawed arms, and all of a sudden, a great tremor knocked Chimchar back, causing it to cry in pain. Pidgeotto however flew in time to prevent the Chimp Pokémon from falling off of the platform.

Much to Matthew's shock, Metang's Earthquake attack had also done damage onto Marshtomp, who gave a yelp as it was knocked off of its feet.

"C-chigi…" moaned Lovino who clutching onto the set of stairs nearby for dear life. "This guy is definitely no fucking pushover…"

"Marshtomp, use Mud Shot on Chimchar!" ordered Keith with a smirk.

"Marshtomp! Marsh!" the Mudfish Pokémon fired a large ball of mud straight at Chimchar, which was then followed by a multiple number of smaller balls of mud straight at the Chimp Pokémon.

"Dodge it quickly, Chimchar!" cried Matthew, not needing to worry about Pidgeotto here.

The Chimp Pokémon immediately obeyed as it began hopping and running around the platform in its effort to dodge the opponent's attack, but accidentally slipped on some of the mud in the process when it landed.

Matthew licked his lips and immediately decided to take out Metang quickly – Chimchar was now looking tired, and the sooner he got rid of it from causing a devastating attack like Earthquake, then the better the battle will go in his favour.

"Chimchar, use Flame Wheel again! On Metang!" ordered Matthew. "Pidgeotto, you use Gust on Marshtomp!"

'_Fire is super effective against Steel, and I'm pretty sure Metang is a Steel type,' _the Canadian boy thought to himself as he watched his Chimchar leap up with its mouth on fire again and began rolling into a literally flaming wheel straight into Metang, who was knocked back again. _'It should get knocked out by now!'_

Unfortunately, Metang simply flew back into the platform.

"W-what?" Matthew's violet eyes widened, but then he groaned as he remembered what Lovino told him before:

"_Leveling up is important shit, too, _Mateo_! It doesn't matter if your Pokémon is strong type-wise against another Pokémon if it's a weak piece of shit! A low-leveled Water-type is known to lose against a high-ass level Fire-type in the Pokémon League!"_

"Well, damn…" the Canadian boy sighed as he shook his head. "How high is Metang's level? Never mind, Pidgeotto, use Gust on Marshtomp!"

The result was more successful – Pidgeotto immediately folded its wings as it began gathering more speed during its flight in Marshtomp's direction. "Geo…Pidgeo!" the Bird Pokémon screeched as it slammed right into Marshtomp who was then blown back from before and straight at Keith's feet.

Keith arched his eyebrows from behind his sunglasses when he saw that one of his Pokémon refused to get up, "What the hell-?"

"Critical hit!" shouted Lovino.

"Yeah? Well, fuck you!" snapped Keith with a snort. He then returned the Mudfish Pokémon and took another Poké ball from his jacket. "Go! Golem!"

"Golem," the Megaton Pokémon growled as it glared right at its opponents.

"G-Golem?" Matthew was impressed, but terrified – the thing looked much larger than Chimchar.

"_**Golem, the Megaton Pokémon,"**_ spoke up the Pokédex's mechanical voice again. _**"It is the evolved form of Graveler. Even dynamite cannot harm its hard, boulder-like body. It sheds its hide just once a year."**_

Matthew licked his lips; he was at a disadvantage here – Chimchar was bad against Rock Pokémon and so was Pidgeotto. He had to do a quick switch, obviously. "Chimchar, return!" called the Canadian boy as he brought out the Chimp Pokémon's Poké ball.

"Char?" Chimchar looked in confusion as it was sent back into its Poké ball in a stream of red light.

Matthew then pulled out another Poké ball and threw it at the platform, "Go! Mienfoo!"

"Foo! Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon began punching its tiny paws forward, pumped for a battle.

"Mienfoo, use Brick Break on Golem!" called Matthew.

"Foo-!" the Martial Arts Pokémon reared back its paw as it began glowing white. It leapt high up, beginning to close in on the Megaton Pokémon…

"Golem, Protect!" yelled Keith.

"Shit!" cursed Lovino.

All of a sudden, Golem gave a roar as it then spread its arms out and immediately, a pale green force field seemed to envelope around it. Mienfoo's Brick Break smashed onto the surface of Protect's force field, but the little Martial Arts Pokémon was then blown back. It landed on its feet and lowered down, quickly regaining its composure, but it looked considerably angered from its attack being blocked.

"Now Metang, use Earthquake!" announced Keith with a huge grin on his face.

"You're a fucking cheap-ass!" shouted Lovino. "That strategy is fucking cheap-ass!"

"Shut up, you little bitch!" snapped Keith. "You ain't the one fighting!"

Metang followed its trainer's orders and unleashed the devastating Ground-type technique again. Only this time, the only one affected by it was Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokémon stood its ground after getting knocked back from the force of the tremor and glared angrily at the Iron Claw Pokémon.

"Quickly! Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack on Metang!" shouted Matthew.

The Bird Pokémon folded its wings in as it then flew straight at Metang, slamming hard enough to make it stumble back, but not enough to take a good amount of damage.

"Use Protect again Golem!" yelled Keith. The Megaton Pokémon followed orders and did as it was instructed. Soon after, the man ordered another Earthquake from Metang to follow suit.

Mienfoo was able to take the damage as it braced itself while Pidgeotto simply flew lower to catch it just in case it was in any danger of falling off the edge of the platform.

Matthew gritted his teeth – that Metang _seriously _had to go down, and soon. He licked his lips after ordering both Pidgeotto _and _Mienfoo to attack Metang twice in a row so it could stop from doing its Earthquake and cause more damage to his other Pokémon.

Metang proved to be a tough contender because of it being both a Steel and Psychic-type. Therefore, Pidgeotto's Shadow Rush and Shadow Rave were seen as the best bets to use against it. Mienfoo's Brick Break did a decent amount of damage, and it could've been super effective, but _no_…the damn Iron Claw Pokémon _had _to be _both _a Steel and a Psychic type, so it just did normal damage.

After another bout of Keith's Protect-Earthquake combo, Matthew quickly took out a Super Potion and healed Mienfoo during Pidgeotto's turn since it was panting hard and looked to be close to fainting. When he finished healing Mienfoo, the Martial Arts Pokémon perked up immediately, and began punching its small paws forward, looking more determined.

"Okay! Mienfoo, use Brick Break on Metang!" ordered Matthew.

"Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon burst forth with its paw reared back and glowing white, bringing it forward and strike Metang's surface.

"Not so fast, pipsqueak!" yelled Keith. "Metang, use Psychic!"

"Metang…" the Iron Claw Pokémon's red eyes glowed blue as it caught Mienfoo in a similarly coloured outline…

However, Mienfoo's paw had by now struck Metang between its eyes.

There was a loud mini explosion as both Pokémon were knocked back.

Both didn't seem to be moving on.

"M-Mienfoo!" shouted Matthew in alarm.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Lovino in shock. "They _both _got knocked out!"

Keith seethed as he instantly returned Metang back to its Poké ball.

Matthew on the other hand gave a sigh as he flashed a soft, sad smile at Mienfoo, "You did really good…" he returned the poor, fainted little Fighting-type back into its ball and finished, "You deserve the rest." Once he put Mienfoo's Poké ball back onto his belt strap, the Canadian boy glared at Keith, wondering what his next Pokémon would be.

"Hmph," Keith snorted. "Gotta hand it to ya, kid – you ain't fucking bad for looking like a bitch, but it's still not over! Go! Camerupt!" and with that, he chucked another Poké ball that he retrieved in his jacket and chucked it out to the center of the platform.

"Rupt!" the Eruption Pokémon roared as it shuffled its foot back and forth, counting.

Matthew licked his lips – he wasn't sure whether to send out Chimchar or Kuma here. Eventually, after a moment of contemplation, the Canadian boy picked one of the Poké balls from his belt and threw it.

"Go! Chimchar!"

"Char!" the Chimp Pokémon chattered as it landed onto the battlefield again.

"Golem, use Protect!" shouted Keith. The Megaton Pokémon complied; setting up the barrier of Protect, as Keith yelled again, "Camerupt, use Flamethrower!"

The Eruption Pokémon let loose a great stream of flames right at Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!" called Matthew. "Just ram through the flames!"

"Pidgeo! Geo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon tucked its wings in as it became engulfed in a shadowy aura. It was flying in a really high speed as it suddenly flew straight into the flames of Camerupt's Flamethrower – the flames not seeming to bother the aura of Shadow Rush, as Pidgeotto gave a war screech and aimed its beak sharply at the Eruption Pokémon's neck, finally cutting straight past.

As it flew airborne again, Camerupt gave a groan as it was knocked back, having been struck quite badly.

"Chimchar, use Shadow Rush on Camerupt, too!" ordered Matthew.

The Chimp Pokémon complied as it began running on all fours straight at the Eruption Pokémon, engulfed in a shadowy aura, too. It rammed straight into Camerupt with such force, that Lovino found the sight amazing.

A little Chimp Pokémon ramming on something that looked to be about thirty times the size and weight of it, and knocking it back.

The battle was long, hard and tiring not only to the Pokémon, but also to the trainers involved. Matthew licked his lips as sweat gathered down the side of his head. He had use about five Super Potions and two Potions so far since Chimchar was always knocked to the point of near fainting – judged by how tired it was. So far, though, the Canadian boy didn't have to use any status medicine, which was good.

Keith himself was gritting his teeth, sweat riding down the side of his own head as they started fogging his sunglasses. He was both frustrated, but at the same time, the adrenaline was blowing up out of proportions – running through his veins, and it was really getting him on edge as he pushed his Pokémon further.

Lovino himself was feeling on edge – he gave a start many times and would yell every so often advice in Matthew's direction, to which the Canadian boy took to stride.

Finally, after a great, tiresome stride of trying to outwit the other trainer, Matthew seethed his teeth as Keith commanded another Protect-Earthquake combo, this time, effectively knocking out Chimchar.

The poor Chimp Pokémon gave a cry as it was flown back. Pidgeotto immediately flew up and caught the little Fire-type on its back and hovered back down; revealing Chimchar to be knocked out.

"No…" Matthew breathed, his purple eyes widening. He sagged as Lovino gritted his own teeth in frustration. "Return…" once Chimchar was back in its Poké ball, Matthew sighed, "You did well…just rest." Once he carefully placed Chimchar's Poké ball back to his belt, the Canadian boy stared down at his remaining Pokémon and began to think carefully…

'_Let's see…types…stats…abilities…wait! Abilities…'_

This was what prompted Matthew to instantly place his hand on a Poké ball, take it from the strap of his belt and throw it right out as he yelled, "Go! Pikachu!"

Once the white light disappeared, the Mouse Pokémon's ears then stood alert as it growled at its opponent, "Pii…"

"What the hell?!" shouted Lovino. "Are you fucking serious, _Mateo_?!"

"Just trust me on this one, Lovino," the Canadian boy responded, expecting the Italian's response. "Just trust me…"

Lovino huffed, but begrudgingly stood down and waited for something to happen.

Keith meanwhile, burst into raucous laughter. "A Pikachu?!" he crowed. "_Really_?! You're fucking _serious_?! Well, fine! The easier it'll be to take you down, bitch! Camerupt, use Protect! Golem, use Earthquake!"

"Pikachu, use Shadow Bolt!" shouted Matthew, remembering the Mouse Pokémon's move in Relic Forest.

"Wait, what?!" Keith bellowed, now horrified once he saw Pikachu easily gather a huge load of electricity surging through its body. However, unlike a normal Thunderbolt, this one was painted dark like a shadow. As soon as Camerupt brought up its barriers for Protect, Golem made an Earthquake tremor by stomping its foot on the ground, however, Pikachu didn't seem to be so miffed…

…because it simply leapt up high and unleashed a _huge _blast of Shadow Bolt right at Golem, who recoiled and gave a loud roar of pain from the devastating attack.

"Holy shit!" breathed Lovino. "Pikachu's a damn power house in Sp. Attack!"

As soon as Pikachu's attack finished, Matthew shouted, "Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rush!"

"Pidgeo…" the Bird Pokémon tucked its wings in as it became engulfed in a shadowy aura, flying straight at Golem in high speed. It rammed straight into it and flew back up to recover itself straight after Pikachu's Shadow Bolt let out a small, yet loud, explosion.

Once the smoke died down, Golem was on its back and with dizzy-looking eyes.

Needless to say, Keith was speechless. "Damn Shadow Bolt!" he shouted angrily as he returned Golem. "Damn Pikachu!"

Matthew sighed in relief as he called, "Good work, Pikachu! You too, Pidgeotto!"

The Electric Mouse didn't seem to pay attention to the Canadian boy's words, and resumed glaring straight at its opponent. Pidgeotto simply nodded its head as it gave a more upbeat chirp of thanks before averting its attention back onto the battlefield.

Lovino was intrigued by the Shadow Bolt. "Damn…" the Italian then thought to himself, _'But Golem's a freaking Rock _and _Ground-type Pokémon! Shadow Bolt…it's not an Electric-type, since it's obviously had an effect on Golem, but…was it me, or was the attack much stronger than a normal Thunderbolt, anyway? Looks like my little theory was fucking correct, then! Hell yeah!'_

Matthew honestly wasn't sure if the Shadow Bolt would work at first, but he was glad it did; it just proved that Lovino's assumption was correct.

Usually, Normal-type attacks like Quick Attack and Tackle wouldn't work on Rock-type Pokémon, as evidenced during training out in the wild against such Pokémon near the cave before his battle with Leon, but after using bouts of Shadow Rush, and seeing that it had a great effect, Lovino came up with the conclusion that Shadow Pokémon not only were more grown in regards to their stats, but Shadow moves (moves that he and Matthew decided to label Shadow Rush and moves as such…) seemed to have an above average effect on normal Pokémon.

However, the Shadow moves themselves had various different types of strength. Shadow Rush was stronger than Shadow Rave, for instance.

And right now, Shadow Bolt greatly outweighed the power of Shadow Rush.

Which was why Matthew took the initiative and ordered Pikachu to utilize another Shadow Bolt, this time, on Camerupt. Pidgeotto quickly followed after with a fast Shadow Rush, and since both Pokémon on Matthew's end had high Speed compared to Camerupt, the Eruption Pokémon was easily brought down after a few matter of turns.

"What the hell?!" Keith shouted at seeing Camerupt rock back and forth, side-to-side, and finally, collapse in a great heap. He snarled, "Grrr…"

"It's over, Keith!" called Matthew. "Leave Mt. Battle, now!"

After a moment of contemplation, much to Matthew's and Lovino's shock, the Shade Admin reared back his head and let loose a great, bellowing laugh. Needless to say, the two were stumped as to why he was laughing right now.

"What the hell's so fucking funny, bastard?!" demanded Lovino. "Shut up!"

"You _seriously _think this is all over?" guffawed Keith. "_Really_? I don't back down easily! Especially not to little bitches like you!" he then reached into his black, leather jacket, and this time, pulled out another Poké ball.

"_One _more?" wondered Matthew. _'Why didn't he send this one out along with his other Pokémon during the double battle…why?'_

"Careful, _Mateo_," said Lovino, bristling slightly. "This one's probably going to be the toughest of all of his fuckers!"

"I'm gonna use my trump card!" Keith's grin was manic as he then reared back his brawny arm. "Go! My fucking trump card!"

Once the light dissipated, Matthew's violet eyes widened in horror as he took a quivering step back, his whole being now trembling at the Pokémon that Keith released. Lovino's jaw dropped in shock; his amber eyes were stretched so wide, that the whites were becoming visible.

From his spot, still face-down on the ground, Yao was speechless as he weakly stretched his head up to look. "That's…impossible, aru!" the Chinese man breathed.

A large, quadruped Pokémon glared with blank, orange irises. Its tough, bear-like body had gray colouring and its underside was beige with stripes. The tail stubby, it also had a black, rounded forehead and two sharp horns came forward from its back. Its face was beige, much like its underside, and under bands on its legs, which were the same colour as its face, there protruded sharp claws.

It gave an earth-shattering roar as it slammed its left forepaw down, shaking the very land. Matthew gave a slight yelp as he tried to regain his balance while Lovino gave a (manly) shriek.

"Impossible, aru!" shouted Yao. "How could you have possibly gained…?"

"Like my fucking surprise?" smirked Keith as he pushed his sunglasses up his nose. "Say hello to my very own trump card! The mighty Terrakion!"

"T-Terrakion…?" spluttered Matthew as he stared at the huge Pokémon before him that simply glared back.

"_**Terrakion, the Cavern Pokémon," **_spoke Matthew's Pokédex. _**"Spoken of in legend, this Pokémon used its phenomenal power to destroy a castle in its effort to protect Pokémon."**_

"Legend? Protect Pokémon?" wondered Matthew, really baffled by the Pokédex's information.

"Terrakion's classified as a legendary Pokémon," said Lovino, now quivering like mad. "Ch-Chigi…"

"You pigs…" seethed Yao. "How…how could Terrakion work under _your _control?! Terrakion works for no-one, aru!"

"You're wrong there, bitch!" laughed Keith. "Terrakion now works for Shade!"

"Uh…L-Lovino…?" Matthew asked, getting truly frightened now. He wasn't sure of what to do now – Terrakion was a legendary Pokémon; what chance did he have against one? Especially one that apparently, _destroyed _a whole castle.

Things couldn't get any worse, could it?

"_Mateo_…" Lovino bit his bottom lip. "You're not gonna fucking like this…"

"Wh-what is it?" the Canadian boy asked warily as he took another step back from Terrakion. The Cavern Pokémon gave a deep rumble in its throat as it shook its head, its great horns, deathly sharp.

"That thing's a Shadow Pokémon," replied Lovino.

Needless to say, once the full situation settled into both of the boys, they were understandably panicked.

"WHAT?!"

"CHIGI!"

* * *

_So, how was the shocker? Sorry, I know I promised the relaxing scene, but _that _one will be in the next chapter. _

_But, yes - the shocking surprise was Keith utilizing Terrakion! 8D __to those who didn't understand the clue and how it attributes to Terrakion - Terrakion is part of a trio called the Musketeer Trio. Terrakion was based on the character Porthos, who was the strongest, largest and most heavy-set out of the musketeers._

_Anyway, I feel sorry for poor Matthew and Lovino, but well...once you become a Pokemon trainer, you can become either a normal one, or a badass. So...good luck, Mattie! _

_Tune in for: A _very _tiresome battle, a cameo of another legendary Pokemon, and the aforementioned relaxing scene. _

_Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day, guys! :DDD_

_Sincerely  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


	19. Terrakion, Celebi and Purification

_Hello all, HetaWriter/HetaReader here. New chapter for this story! XD_

_Obviously, I'll save my excuses and stuff, so yeah...^^;_

_Anyway, thanks goes to **hind-gunner999 **for the fave, **Xiaowen **and **winged wolf 2 **for the follow, and a BIG thanks to **xXguiltyXx**, **wizz098**, **FusososoLaugh **for the fave AND the follow. BIG thanks also goes to **AlliasAlliance**, **Ayumi Kudou**, **Riverclan23 **and **hetaliaforever123 **for the reviews! :D  
_

**_AliasAlliance: _**_Yup, not good at all...yes! We shall see how Matthew and Lovino handle the situation...:D Thank you so much for being so understanding. :) really, that's a huge relief and it means a lot to me, too, that you'd be willing to stick around for my works. :D (It' perfectly alright that your reviews are short: I'm just glad you review at all, and one that reviews every chapter, too! :D)__  
_

**_Ayumi Kudou:_**_ Indeed, that's pretty sad. :( Ahhh yeah...Pokemon X and Y. :) I'm looking forward to it, too - my Denmark/one of my best friends has a Nintendo 3DS, and he's going to buy it as soon as it reaches the shelves (which is in October where I am). I'm actually interested to see it because of the European inspirations; so far, they've shown shots off a bridge resembling one in England (forgot the name, but the one near Big Ben), and the Eiffel Tower of France (I'd definitely love to see Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and if any of Northern Europe is there. :D) Haha, yes, I'm up-to-date with the new Hetalia - can't wait to see the next one that features the relationship between Japan and America! I quite loved the one with France and his elaboration of a man who wonders about him and why he never ages. It was such a beautiful episode, and it did the strip justice. :) Haha, I remember that episode! Gakuen Hetalia! XD Don't forget that Thailand and India also had cameos. ^^; I'd love to see the strip when Taiwan takes a picture with Vietnam and their eyes become huge (much to poor Viet-chan's shock), and I'd also love it if they'll adapt any of the Christmas Bloodbath or Hetaween strips (maybe even make a movie out of them? Because they're so long compared to the usual strip? 8D)_

**_Riverclan23:_**_ Indeed! Mattie may be soft and kind, but he's definitely no pushover. I always thought he was a nice and hidden badass. :D Thank you, and you should! I quite liked Pokemon Colosseum, and personally, I think Nintendo will do much better with reception and sales if they ever did a Pokemon game for Wii that was just like Pokemon Colosseum/XD if they also included badges in them. However, I am looking forward to the new Pokemon X and Y and will give it a chance. :)_

**_hetaliaforever123: _**_Because that's what happened in Pokemon Colosseum...^^; however, it was far worse there; they sent out _the legendary dogs_ on you. So you had to face Entei, Suicune and Raikou whenever you fought the Cipher Admins. XD They took off that feature in Pokemon XD, which saddened me as I love a good challenge, and it was different, too, but the Boss has the legendary Pokemon, so that made up for it. :)_

_I wonder if you guys liked the surprise - that's right! I'm following Pokemon Colosseum - in Pokemon Colosseum, the bad guy admins (except Miror B XD) had a legendary Pokemon in their roster. However, they had the three legendary beasts: Suicune, Raikou and Entei. There are four Shade Admins here, so you can obviously see the pattern. )_

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_"Ai ya!"_

* * *

Matthew gulped as he stared with widened eyes at the Pokémon released by the smug Keith.

_Terrakion_.

A legendary Pokémon, who, according to the Pokédex, had the sheer power to obliterate an _entire _castle.

And to make matters worse, it was a freaking _Shadow Pokémon_.

The Canadian boy licked his lips as he stared at the two Pokémon out already; Pikachu and Pidgeotto. Both were Shadow Pokémon themselves, but they were absolutely _tiny _in comparison to Terrakion.

Lovino noticed that his partner was probably scared senseless, but really, who wouldn't? He was facing with a freaking _legendary Pokémon_. Plus, to add more pressure on Matthew, it was a Shadow Pokémon, too! The Canadian boy had to catch that thing even if it had a very low capture rate compared to the other Shadow Pokémon that Matthew had encountered thus far.

"Not gonna move, bitch? Well, fine! My move, first, fuckers!" crowed Keith. "Terrakion, use Shadow Rush on Pidgeotto!"

"Rraak!" the Cavern Pokémon gave a bellowing roar as it lowered its great head, snorting like a bull, and after counting its feet, ran at an alarming speed, despite how massive and heavy its body looked, right at Pidgeotto while being engulfed in a shadowy aura.

Snapping out of his dumbfounded stupor, Matthew yelled, "No! Pidgeotto, dodge it quick!"

"Pidgeo!" the Bird Pokémon simply flew higher up in the sky, narrowly avoiding Terrakion's horned head from making contact with it.

"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" called Matthew, deciding to at _least _try. "Pikachu, you use Shadow Bolt!"

Pidgeotto tucked its wings in as it flew in a great rush of speed right at Terrakion, striking it in the face, but the Canadian boy was uneasy at seeing the Cavern Pokémon simply snort and shake its head, totally unaffected.

"_Mateo_! Terrakion is both a Rock _and _Fighting type!" yelled Lovino. "So, Normal-type attacks won't have any effect on the bastards!"

Matthew nodded, "Okay, I got it. I didn't know Terrakion was that type…" well, to be honest, Matthew could definitely see the Rock-type now that he took a closer look at the Cavern Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Pikachu, with a determined look on its face, curled its arms inwardly as it gave a loud, "_Pikaaa_…" as it started to charge electricity, however unlike that of a normal Electric-type attack, this electricity was glowing dark. "_Chuu_!" Pikachu shouted as it unleashed the great purge of Shadow Bolt right at Terrakion.

Terrakion stood its ground as the Shadow Bolt hit struck; its eye twitched and it grit its teeth; obviously, this caused much more damage than the Quick Attack, but seeing as how the Cavern Pokémon was still remaining firm on its legs, it wasn't _too _much, either.

"Had fun, bitch? It's gonna be over with you, soon!" declared Keith. "Terrakion, use Shadow Break on Pidgeotto!"

"Shadow Break?" Matthew and Lovino asked in confusion, only to get alarmed upon seeing it before their eyes.

Terrakion gave another bellowing roar as it slammed its front, left claw to the ground, causing a loud bang to reverberate throughout Mt Battle as the very earth shook. That doing so, the Cavern Pokémon was enveloped with a shadowy aura much like Shadow Rush, only more intense. Next, Terrakion lowered its head again and ran with a shattering ram straight into Pidgeotto.

The Bird Pokémon shrieked as it was knocked back, tumbling in the air, however it regained its composure and hovered back to the platform, still flapping its wings. However, Matthew noticed that Pidgeotto was looking much more tired.

Understandably, this got the Canadian boy really nervous. _'I gotta be _extremely _careful now,'_ Matthew thought to himself. _'I've only got three Pokémon left, and I don't think Kuma's going to fare well against a Rock-Fighting-type like Terrakion…_"

So, which was why Matthew used a Super Potion on Pidgeotto. He then quickly ordered, "Pikachu, use Shadow Bolt again!"

Since it was the strongest Shadow move that he had, the Canadian boy decided why not just use it as much as he could? He and Lovino had discovered after all that for some reason, Shadow Pokémon could not run out of times they could use Shadow moves. However, the Italian affiliated that fact with the whole concept of the organization Shade wanting to manufacture fighting machines out of Pokémon.

"_Pikaaa_…_chuuu_!" Pikachu bellowed as it charged more darkened electricity and blasted it right at Terrakion. The Cavern Pokémon squeezed its eyes shut this time around, and gave a low grumble in its throat as it bared its teeth, now affected just a _little _bit more than before.

However, the Cavern Pokémon still shook it off just as easily the previous time the move was used.

Keith gave a maniacal laugh, "You don't have any hopes of trying to beat me with my trump card! Terrakion, use Shadow Break on this little shit again!"

The Cavern Pokémon snorted as it obeyed commands again, getting engulfed in a shadowy aura like before. Again, it roared as it ran forward, smashing into Pidgeotto with a shattering ram.

This time, Pidgeotto gave a much more agonized cry as it was knocked backwards, tumbling over and over in the air.

"Pidgeotto!" called Matthew in concern. "Are you okay? Can you still battle?"

The Bird Pokémon chirped as it nodded its head after regaining its composure yet again. It hovered back to the battling platform, flapping its wings, though looking quite out of breath.

"Pidgeotto, use Shadow Rave!" called Matthew, deciding to fight fire with fire. "Pikachu, you use Shadow Bolt again!"

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon flapped its wings as shadowy spikes began protruding from the ground, eventually striking Terrakion. The Cavern Pokémon gave a low grumble in its throat again upon being struck, just as Pikachu's Shadow Bolt took its time to blast its entire being yet again.

However, this time, Terrakion gave a pained growl as it was pushed just a _little _bit backwards. It wasn't a big push, but it was still there. And it took much longer for Terrakion to shake off the Shadow Bolt this time around.

The great Cavern Pokémon was starting to succumb.

Matthew licked his lips; this was going to be a brutal and tiresome battle, but the Canadian boy was determined to snag Terrakion away from Keith.

Likewise, Keith was just as determined to crush Matthew, however he was very positive that with his trump card, he wouldn't have many worries in eliminating his opponent. After all, Terrakion was a legendary Pokémon, _and _it was about five times the size of Pikachu and Pidgeotto.

Of course, despite the fierce attacks that Terrakion was unleashing upon his two much smaller Pokémon, Matthew would keep his Super Potions handy when it looked like either Pidgeotto or Pikachu were about to collapse at any moment. But even so, the Canadian boy was starting to get progressively worried at seeing that he was running out of Super Potions the longer the battle wore on.

Keith then yelled, "Terrakion! Use Shadow Break! _Full _power on Pidgeotto!"

Terrakion gave another bellowing roar as it lowered its head, horns going out, and after counting its left claw, became engulfed in a shadowy aura as it smashed into Pidgeotto with another shattering ram.

This time, Pidgeotto was flying backwards and actually crashed straight into Matthew.

The Canadian boy gave a yelp as he caught his Bird Pokémon and looked it over, panicked. "Pidgeotto! Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Pidgeo…" the Bird Pokémon chirped feebly, its eyes were spinning, signifying it was knocked out.

"No good, _Mateo_," Lovino shook his head. "Poor bastard's been knocked out…"

Matthew sighed, but gave a gentle smile as he returned Pidgeotto, "Take a good, long rest." After settling Pidgeotto's Poké ball on his belt, the Canadian boy exhaled as he took the Poké ball that held his remaining Pokémon. "Go! Kuma!" he shouted as he threw his Poké ball onto the battlefield.

After the great, white light disappeared, Kumajirou rubbed its eyes, looking like it had a nice nap until it was released. "Choo…" the Chill Pokémon yawned.

"Ain't gonna help you!" shouted Keith in glee. "You're mine now, you gay-looking bitch! Terrakion, use Shadow Break on Pikachu!"

"Rrrakion!" the Cavern Pokémon roared, again lowering its horned head and, after slamming its foot down in the ground and causing the platform and earth to tremor, began rushing straight at Pikachu and ramming it with a smashing hit.

The Mouse Pokémon gave a loud cry as it was knocked backwards, but after rolling over once, Pikachu regained its footing as it held onto the platform on all-fours. It panted as it glared right at its opponent.

Just at that moment, Terrakion gave a roar of pain. Not annoyance, shock or surprise, but _real _excruciating pain.

"What the fuck?!" Keith demanded as he stared with widened eyes behind his sunglasses at his trump card. He was shocked to see little golden bolts sizzling and cracking all over Terrakion's body.

The great Cavern Pokémon shivered and squeezed its eyes shut as it tried to shake off the bolts, only for more to fizzle and hiss at its body.

"Fucking Static!" roared Lovino in triumph. "Now's your chance, _Mateo_! Do something!"

"Got it!" nodded Matthew, now extra determined to capture Terrakion. "Pikachu, use Shadow Bolt again! Kuma, you use Ice Beam!"

Both Pokémon obeyed orders and, side-by-side, they unleashed their respective techniques on the paralysed legendary Pokémon.

Terrakion took the Ice Beam easily, since it had a type advantage, however the Shadow Bolt caused it to roar in pain as it lowered its head, trying to endure the blast. By the time the Shadow Bolt was over, the Cavern Pokémon looked much more exhausted than before, panting as it glared with empty eyes at its opponents.

"Move it, Terrakion!" bellowed Keith. "Use Shadow Break!"

"Rrak…" Terrakion mumbled as it tried to take a step forward, only for its massive feet to only give way, causing it to almost fall over. However, it kept its footing and glared at its opponents.

Keith swore as Matthew this time whipped out an Ultra ball from the bag. Lovino had helped him buy more Poké balls, however the Italian had recommended that they buy others than just Poké ones.

"_Don't know just what the hell we're gonna face out there, and what other Pokémon will become those Shade bastard's minions, but we'll need something to fucking counter that!" Lovino had declared. "We need stronger balls!"_

_A group of boys had snickered at the Italian's words, causing Matthew to blush slightly, while Lovino's face was completely red. Lucky the shop's clerk came in time to chase those kids off for lack of etiquette and before the Italian could use his choice words on the youngsters…_

…_which, was how Matthew ended up using a lot of his money on not only Poké balls, but also Great, Ultra and Timer ones._

"_There are all kinds of Poké balls we can use, _Mateo_," Lovino had said as he gripped one of the shopping bags. "We'll buy more when you get more money from kicking asses in Pokémon battles. Okay?"_

_Matthew nodded, "Okay."_

The Canadian boy now took the Ultra ball in his snagging arm, and at once, the Snag Machine activated. Matthew reared back his arm as he threw the Ultra ball, which was then converted into a Snag Ball.

"What the fuck?!" shouted Keith, his eyes popping out of their sockets.

The ball captured Terrakion and landed onto the ground, bouncing a few times before landing. The ball was shaking only just once, when with a loud popping noise, was blown backwards, releasing Terrakion from within.

"No! It didn't work," Matthew exclaimed, however, the Canadian boy somewhat expected it. Though, he was hoping just a _tiny _bit that Terrakion would just stay in the ball.

The Cavern Pokémon roared in outrage, looking absolutely furious. Matthew couldn't help the shiver running down his spine at looking upon Terrakion's expression.

"Just try again, _Mateo_!" called Lovino. "Do it again!"

"Only use Ultra balls on it, aru!" rasped Yao from his spot on the ground. He tried to get up, but his hip was acting up, forcing him to stay face-down on the platform. "Ultra balls only!"

"Okay!" Matthew said after Terrakion used another Shadow Break, this time in Kumajirou's direction.

The Cubchoo was startled and blown back from the force, however it regained its composure, landing on all fours, much like Pikachu, and this time, looked really angry at being smashed into like that.

Which was why, it took great delight in unleashing another Ice Beam on Terrakion while Matthew used Pikachu's turn to grab another Ultra ball from the bag.

The Canadian boy used another Ultra ball, converted into a Snag ball right at Terrakion. The Cavern Pokémon disappeared into the ball as it bounced away a few times before landing onto the ground again.

The ball gave a great shake once. Then it gave another great shake…

…and with another loud, popping noise, Terrakion was released from the ball again.

"It broke free again…" Matthew gritted his teeth.

This however, only made him extra determined to capture the Cavern Pokémon.

Pikachu was this time, commanded to do one more Shadow Bolt, causing a huge blast to reverberate around Mt Battle as this time, Terrakion bellowed in pain, getting heavily impacted by the Shadow Bolt.

Once Shadow Bolt dissipated, the Cavern Pokémon's front, right leg gave way, and it collapsed on it, causing Keith to angrily swear, "No! What the fuck?! Get up! Get your ass up, damn it!"

'_Now's my chance!'_ Matthew thought as he quickly whipped out another Ultra ball from the bag and loaded it onto his arm, which wielded the Snag machine. The ball was converted into a Snag ball, and, after rearing back his arm, the Canadian boy chucked the Snag ball straight at the fallen Terrakion.

Again, after hitting it on the head, the Snag ball captured the Cavern Pokémon as it bounced a few times on the platform, until eventually settling down, rolling slowly at the centre of the battlefield.

Matthew bit his bottom lip as the ball started to shake. Lovino watched with bated breath while Yao tried to lift his head up and look at the shaking ball.

The Snag ball's centre was pulsing madly as the bearer within was struggling it seemed, to come out. It was shaking…

…once…

…twice…

…three times…

…

…then, it stopped and remained still. The pulsing of the centre now disappeared.

At this, Matthew's heart stood still; he could only stare at the still Ultra ball at the centre of the battlefield.

Likewise, everybody else was stunned at what just happened.

Pikachu and Kumajirou were the ones to finally grab the Ultra ball and give it to Matthew. "Choo…" the Cubchoo said happily, handing the ball over to its trainer.

"'Kachu," Pikachu tugged on the Canadian boy's trouser leg, gesturing to the Ultra ball in Kumajirou's paws.

Finally, when the full awareness of the whole situation settled into everyone's being, Lovino was the first to react. The Italian gave a loud shriek of ecstasy as he jumped up, pumping his fist. He shouted, "You fucking did it! _Mateo _you caught Terrakion! You _did _it! You fucking _did _it! _WHOO_!"

Matthew blinked and he saw before him that his two remaining Pokémon were actually _giving _him his newly caught Terrakion. He let out a shaky hand and gripped onto the ball…

…nope, this wasn't a dream.

All at once, the Canadian boy felt something bloom right into his being as his sweat began to cease dripping down the sides of his head. "I…I caught Terrakion…" he breathed, unable to believe it. Slowly, a huge smile spread out onto his face, and this time, Matthew shouted in triumph and pure delight as he raised the ball up in the air. "I _did _it! I caught Terrakion! I caught Terrakion!"

"You fucking did!" Lovino ran over and clapped Matthew's back. "That was _epic_, _Mateo_!"

"I still can't believe it, though…" Matthew breathed. "Did I _seriously _just capture Terrakion?"

"You did, damn it!" however, the Italian was beaming. "You fucking did! And with _three _Ultra balls, too! That was epic!"

However, both were startled from their merry celebrating when Keith roared in outrage at what just happened, "_Gwaaah_! You meddlesome fucker!"

"He's more than a meddlesome fucker, bastard!" snapped Lovino. "He's a kick-ass Pokémon snagger! Because he stole your fucking Terrakion!"

Matthew couldn't help but flush pleasantly at the compliment his Italian partner gave. Well, Lovino barely gave any compliments, that and he was also very sharp and blunt sounding whenever he gave them, so when the Italian said that, the Canadian boy truly felt happy at receiving some flattering words from him.

"Son of a bitch!" Keith snarled as he lowered his shades, revealing his deep, dark brown eyes. He marched closer to the pair and leaned down to get a closer look at Matthew. The Canadian boy nervously looked up at the brawny man while Lovino let out a, _"Chigi!" _and took a step back.

"The way you handled those Pokémon with your audacious skill," murmured Keith, narrowing his eyes. "Just who the fuck _are _you, anyway?"

Before either Matthew or Lovino could respond, a familiar looking Shade Peon had run into the scene, accompanied by a female one by his side. They ran right up to Keith.

"Master Keith!" exclaimed Shade Peon Skrub, only to be cut off.

"Skrub, you were hopelessly outclassed against this bitch," grumbled Keith as he lifted his shades back into place. "You had absolutely _zero _chance of winning." The man snorted as he straightened his posture and placed a hand on his strong hip, "I'm pulling out now. You go to the lab, and help out there."

Skrub saluted, "As you wish, sir!"

And with that, he and the female Shade Peon ran off.

Keith glared down at Matthew and Lovino, "This ain't over yet, bitches. Stronger Pokémon are being made even now. You'd better get serious about training your little fuckers for our next meeting. Dahahaha!" and with that, he let loose a loud, bellowing cackle as he suddenly leapt off the platform.

Both Matthew and Lovino were shocked upon the Shade Admin's actions, until they saw a helicopter fly up and start to flee with Keith smirking at them from the rope ladder.

"Wow…"

"Mother fucker…"

"Pika," Pikachu tugged on Matthew's trousers leg again.

Matthew looked down at the Mouse Pokémon and arched an eyebrow, "Huh?" he was surprised to see that Pikachu was trying to give him something. "What is it?" he wondered as he took the shiny object from Pikachu.

It was revealed to be a shiny disk with an _'F'_ on it.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" inquired Lovino as he arched an eyebrow at it. "That certainly ain't a TM or a HM…"

"I don't know…" responded Matthew. "Pikachu just gave it to me. I think Keith must've dropped it, or something…"

Lovino shrugged, "Well, whatever. It's ours now."

And with that, Lovino took the bag from Matthew, slung it over his shoulder, and put the F-Disk away. The Italian snorted, "Son of a bitch, though! Those Shade people are all fucking cowards!"

Matthew gave a small smile at his partner, but upon hearing the groan, he and Lovino ran up to Yao in panic. "Hey! Are you alright?" the Canadian boy asked in concern.

"Yao!"

Matthew and Lovino turned around to see Ivan running as fast as he could to them. He knelt down beside the Chinese man with a worried expression. "Yao, are you alright?" he asked. "You're okay, _da_? Here, let me help you!" and with that, he easily lifted up Yao, who was seething at the jolts acting up on his hip.

"Ow! _Ai ya_…" the Chinese man grumbled. "That wasn't an experience I'd _ever _want to have again, aru. Don't worry, Ivan, I'm fine." He the gestured to Matthew and Lovino, "If it weren't for these two, I'd be in for it. So, thank you, aru."

"Oh, it was no problem," replied Matthew.

"I am Wang Yao," the Chinese man said. Then he shook his head, "I am the Battle Master here at Mt. Battle."

"You're shitting me," Lovino spoke up, amber eyes widened. "_You're _the Mt. Battle Master?"

"I'm Matthew and this is Lovino," the Canadian boy spoke up quickly before anything could be started. "We're glad to meet you!" he then went on to explain everything that had happened to Yao…

…the incident at Strenfürchtige City, the whole affair with Arthur at Feral Town, and what had happened at the Relic Forest in LiánhuāhanaCity.

Once aware of everything that had happened thus far in regards to Shade, Yao nodded, "Hm…what you have told me explain a lot. Thanks to you, I know exactly why they attacked us, aru."

Suddenly, he pulled out an object from inside his sleeve, revealing it to be a flute appearing to be made out of bamboo with some leaves still sprouting at one end, along with a delicate looking flower.

"This is the Time Flute," said Yao. "My family is responsible for producing only a few of these for generations, aru. This is one I have made, but there are others out there. The Time Flute will summon Celebi, but only once. There must be something about Celebi that frightens them, aru."

Ivan rubbed his chin, "Hm…it seems obvious that they do not want Celebi to encounter a Shadow Pokémon, _da_?"

"Let's not spend any more time here," said Yao. "Let's go back, aru."

Back at the registration counter of Mt. Battle, Yao is leaning on Ivan for support as his poor hip was still acting up. He then cleared his throat to obtain Matthew's and Lovino's attention, and offered the Time Flute to them.

"Here, I want you to have it, aru," said the Chinese man.

Matthew was shocked, "B-But…are you sure? Can we really have this?"

Yao nodded, "Of course you may, aru. I'd rather have you use that Time Flute than have those damn crooks take it by force. Use it, and save the Shadow Pokémon from their sinister plans, aru!"

Ivan smiled down at the pair, "You are very lucky to have received such a precious treasure from Yao. And thank you for saving him, too. Here…a little present from me…"

The Russian man extended his arm after searching his long coat, and the object he was giving were revealed to be two tickets. They were sea-blue, and had white lettering.

"H-Huh?!" Lovino's eyes widened. "But, these are…!"

Ivan nodded, "_Da_, they are two tickets to the S.S. Tidal of Sahil City. To show my sincerest gratitude."

"But…aren't these supposed to be for you?" inquired Matthew. "And whoever's going with you?"

Here, Yao spoke up, "I doubt I can go on the cruise now; it'd be too much of a journey for me, aru." He turned to the Russian man, "That was quite thoughtful of you, Ivan, aru."

Ivan chuckled lightly, "Yao is hurt, and I do not want to go anywhere without him. _Da_, you both can have it; it looks like you need it much more than we do, anyway. I will stay here and look after my little friend and his hip!"

Yao gave an exasperated sigh, "You make me sound old! I am _not _that old, aru!"

"Well…thank you very much," Matthew said sincerely.

Lovino was equally as flustered as the Canadian boy, "_Grazie_…"

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

Before the pair decided to depart to Sahil City and obtain the boat to Matthew's next gym challenge, however, they decided to go back to Liánhuāhana City first to report the good news to Mei, Leon and Yong Soo, as well as saying their goodbyes for now.

Upon entering the gym, Matthew and Lovino were confronted by the kimono girl who was refereeing Matthew's match against Leon.

"Oh, it's you two again!" the kimono girl sighed in relief. "I heard something big happened at Mt. Battle! The Masters and the Missis are worried sick about the both of you! Quick! Hurry to their home, and reassure them that you're both safe and sound!"

And that was just what they did.

When the pair finally made it through the back of the gym and into the lovely, little home, Yao's younger siblings were immensely relieved at seeing that they were both okay.

"Matthew! Lovino! You're both okay!" exclaimed Mei as she clapped her hands together.

"It's good to see you both back safe and sound," Leon nodded, and Matthew could've sworn he saw shades of a smile on the usually stoic Asian boy's face.

"_Mattie_~!" Yong Soo exclaimed as he leapt up and onto the Canadian boy, almost knocking him over. "You're alive, da ze!"

"Yong Soo, what the heck?!" shouted Mei, looking irritated at the Korean boy's antics. "Matthew wasn't going to die!"

"Honestly, I thought I was…" admitted Matthew as he gave a nervous smile at all of them.

Lovino heaved a heavy sigh of relief as he scratched the back of his head, "I'll say…shit just got real at Mt. Battle, but we made it."

Mei blinked, "Just what happened, anyway?"

"Yes, how goes it?" Leon asked, genuinely interested. "Have you like, kicked ass at Mt. Battle?"

Seeing the pair nod, Yong Soo exclaimed, "Of course! Never expect anything less from them, da ze!"

Mei rolled her eyes, "Yong Soo, get off of Matthew – you're strangling him…"

"No!" snapped Yong Soo with a pout. "I like Mattie, and I'm not letting go of him, da ze!" he then stuck his tongue out at his sister.

Before Mei could snap back at him, Leon inspected the Time Flute that Yao had handed the both of them. The Asian boy looked pleasantly surprised, "I see! So brother Yao conferred the Time Flute upon you two."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Yong Soo as he beamed. "Let's go to the Relic Forest and summon Celebi! I wonder what'll happen? This is so exciting, da ze!"

"We've never seen Celebi ourselves before," Leon exclaimed as everyone made their way towards the Relic Forest. "So, this is like, a really great event to ever happen with us."

Mei nodded in agreement, "Brother Yao never trusted us with the Time Flute. He would get all snappy with us whenever we tried to touch or even _take a look _at it. At least, our other older siblings didn't snap…"

"Other older siblings?" echoed Matthew curiously.

"_Hyeong_'s not our only big brother," beamed Yong Soo, who had his arm linked with Matthew's. "There's also Kasem, _noona _Lien, and…" he stuck his tongue out here, his face pulled into a disgusted look. "_Kiku_…"

"Don't talk about Kiku-kun like that!" snapped Mei, looking cross.

"I'll talk about him however I like, da ze!" Yong Soo responded sharply. "Just because _you _worship the ground he walks on!"

"Who the fuck is Kiku?" inquired Lovino, stepping away from the two angry Asians and closer to Leon.

Here, the Asian sighed, "Kiku is our second eldest brother. He's of Japanese blood…"

"Oh…" Matthew felt sheepish and awkward as he was close to the feuding. "Please, tell me we're almost there…"

"You don't have to worry, we are," said Leon. He allowed everyone else to enter before him, and upon entering the calm, tranquil green forest, everyone suddenly felt a great wave of peace overcome their being.

Soon, Yong Soo and Mei stopped with their arguing and sighed at the soft chirping of some of the bird Pokémon, as well as the calming aroma of pure nature around them.

"Hmm? What is this?" Leon asked as he took a step towards the Relic Stone and picked up what appeared to be a file. "Could this be from our previous encounter with Skrub?"

"Must be," responded Matthew as Lovino took the file.

"Eduard File C – Celebi's Power," the Italian read aloud, flipping a page open next as they all came closer to listen. "The purification of Shadow Pokémon has several factors. Celebi appears to have the power to boost the purification process. If a Shadow Pokémon encounters a Celebi, it recalls how its heart was before being closed, and reverts back to its original form. Likewise, the Relic Stone of Liánhuāhana City also appears to have the power to complete the purification process…"

Everyone exchanged glances as Lovino finished reading, "These factors must be eliminated if the Shadow Pokémon Plan is to proceed. Shadow Pokémon Lab Chief Eduard."

"I really don't want to meet this guy…" grumbled Matthew, noticing that in every file that he and Lovino encountered, they were documents of this one Eduard person.

"Me neither," agreed Lovino. "He sounds like he's the one making all of the Shadow Pokémon…"

"How horrible!" squealed Mei.

""Well, it mentions that the Relic Stone can also purify Shadow Pokémon if they are ready to open the final lock to the door to their heart," Leon noted. "So…maybe you don't have to use the Time Flute just yet."

"How the hell can we even check that?" questioned Lovino. "Through our Pokémon's status?"

Matthew shrugged and decided to give it a try; he checked the status of his Pokémon and saw that all of them, except for Pikachu and Terrakion, had the same thing over and over again instead of where experience count was:

"_**The door to its heart is ready to be open! Undo the final lock!"**_

"Well, fuck me," grumbled Lovino. "The Pokédex is becoming so damn useful, nowadays…" he then shook Matthew's shoulder. "Send everyone but Terrakion out; I doubt that that thing will be even _close _to purifying."

Matthew nodded, "Okay, then. Everyone, calm out!" he exclaimed as he threw his other Poké balls, unleashing all of his Pokémon. Even Kumajirou was out. All of his Pokémon looked up at him interestedly, and around them, noticing it was a lovely environment they were in.

Lovino put a hand on his hip, "So…which Pokémon should we purify first?"

Matthew rubbed his chin as he gazed down at the four pairs of eyes coming from the Shadow Pokémon. The Canadian boy leaned down as he said, "Okay…I know that you were once fine before. You're going to be fine again, but in order to do so…you have to go near that stone." Mathew looked at the Relic Stone, "So, please…will you?"

Mienfoo, Chimchar and Pidgeotto all glanced at each other while Pikachu stared at the Relic Stone. The Mouse Pokémon then bounded up to it and sniffed it. Everyone watched carefully as Pikachu tilted its head, then touched the stone's surface with its paw.

Nothing happened.

"Well, no shit," said Lovino. "Pikachu's not close to being purified yet."

Chimchar looked nervous and scared while Pidgeotto seemed highly suspicious upon going to the Relic Stone.

Mienfoo then gave a nod as it bravely stepped forward to it. "Foo," the little Martial Arts Pokémon said politely. Pikachu moved out of the way, allowing Mienfoo to come closer.

At once, the Relic Stone began emanating pale green sparks of energy as Mienfoo came closer. Everyone watched with bated breath as the Martial Arts Pokémon surveyed the stone up and down.

Next, it let out its little paw, and rested it onto the stone's surface.

Suddenly, great green streams of energy were blasted from the stone and straight onto Mienfoo, who took it after giving a squeak more out of surprise than pain.

All at once, a sudden onslaught of shadows were creeping out from Mienfoo's chest and upon contacting the flowing streams of green energy from the Relic Stone, disappeared at once. Mienfoo's once slightly dull red eyes suddenly gained a burning spark from within them as it stood its ground.

"Mienfoo opened the door to its heart!" exclaimed Matthew.

There was a beeping from the Pokédex and upon inspecting it, Matthew and Lovino saw that Shadow Rush was no more.

Instead, it was replaced by a different more.

"Foo?" Mienfoo questioned itself as it stared down at its paws. Looking around, its eyes flashed upon realization and it clenched its paws into fists. Next, it stood in a stance and slammed one of its fists down into the ground, causing an avalanche of rocks to slide down from the cliff, which at first, caused everyone to panic, but the little Martial Arts Pokémon simply slammed another fist into that same cliff, and the previous rocks were crumbled into dust with a second onslaught of boulders, causing all of them to crumble.

"That was Rock Slide," observed Leon. "How wonderful…"

The Martial Arts Pokémon then turned to Matthew and walked up to it. Next, it gave a bow, much like how a young martial arts student would do to its sensei. The Canadian boy smiled; it was a success.

Pidgeotto then gave a loud war-like shriek as it suddenly flew up into the air, gave a loop-the-loop and flew straight at the Relic Stone.

At first, everyone was afraid that the Bird Pokémon was going to crash straight into the relic, but _just _saw Pidgeotto weave with a spin and its two feet had touched the Relic Stone before flying high again.

As it flew higher and higher, the streams of glowing green energy seeped within its feathery breast and soon, the dark shadows were obliterated as it attempted to crawl out an away from its host.

By the time Pidgeotto flew back to the ground, it looked absolutely delighted, which was a great change from its once serious demeanour. It gave a cheerful cry as it spread its wings wide, its eyes glowing happily, "Pidgeo! Geo!"

Likewise with Mienfoo, Pidgeotto's Shadow moves – Shadow Rush and Shadow Rave – were both replaced.

Pidgeotto then took flight again as it spun around in such a swift manner, that a Twister was made. However, just as quickly as Pidgeotto created the Twister, the Bird Pokémon then spread outs its wings, which now glowed silver-white and flew straight at the Twister, cutting it apart, and at once, causing it to disappear altogether.

"That was Twister and Steel Wing!" squealed Mei, delighted at seeing such power from a happy looking Pokémon. "Wow!"

Pidgeotto descended down just as quickly and perched onto Matthew's arm once the Canadian boy stretched it out to allow it to land. It gave a purr-like chirp as it affectionately nibbled on Matthew's finger.

Inspired by both Mienfoo and Pidgeotto, Chimchar then ran forward, almost tripping over its own feet in its dash to the Relic Stone. It then reached both hands out and grabbed onto the Relic Stone's surface.

As with both Mienfoo and Pidgeotto, the great flowing streams of glowing green energy was released from the stone and straight onto Chimchar. The shadows form inside Chimchar was seeping out from its chest and disappeared altogether.

Once the light was gone, Chimchar suddenly gave a gasp as it then started to glow white, much to everyone's shock.

They all stared in disbelief, especially Matthew and Lovino, as Chimchar suddenly grew more in height and its limbs were stretched out slightly. It punched a fist up and once the great white light was gone, a new Pokémon was standing in the Chimp Pokémon's place.

"Monferno!" the Pokémon bellowed as it beat at its chest with one fist, its dark grey eyes were twinkling with merriment as the spindly flame at the tip of its tail burned brilliantly.

"Chimchar evolved into a Monferno, da ze!" exclaimed Yong Soo in delight. "That's wicked!"

Next, not wanting to be outdone by Mienfoo and Pidgeotto, Monferno's fists began to glow light blue. It then called at Mienfoo, "Ferno! Monfern! Ferno!"

Mienfoo blinked, but complied to Monferno's calling. The Martial Arts Pokémon beat the ground and boulders and rocks fell from the mountain's side again, due to Rock Slide.

Monferno than gave an excited chatter as it leapt up and started punching, kicking and striking at all of the falling boulders and stones with deadly precision. Its fists still glowing a magnificent blue.

"I think that was Mach Punch, da ze!" noted Yong Soo as he whistled. "Pretty sweet."

Once finished with obliterating all of the falling debris from Rock Slide, Monferno gave a chatter as it ran up to Matthew. It then saluted and gave more excited chatter, causing Matthew to smile down widely at the Playful Pokémon.

"That's about all the Shadow Pokémon who could be healed via the Relic Stone," said the Canadian boy. However, he looked down at Pikachu who simply stared at the purified Pokémon with a strange look in its dull eyes. Matthew smiled, "Don't worry; we'll purify you soon enough."

"Pika," Pikachu gave a half-hearted shrug; looking like it didn't care at all.

"Well, it seems that your Pokémon are fine now," noted Leon. "That's good…"

"Hold on, guys," Matthew said as he then stood up. His purified Pokémon stopped with their celebrating and everyone turned their gazes onto the Canadian boy who now looked serious. "We have one more thing to do…"

"What might that be?" questioned Mei as she, Kumajirou, Pidgeotto and Monferno tilted their heads to the side.

"Can one of you…please, play the Time Flute?" Matthew asked as he then took the Ultra ball that contained Terrakion. "Please?"

Lovino's eyes widened, "Seriously, _Mateo_?! You wanna purify the thing now?"

Matthew nodded, "Yes. Then I'm releasing it."

The Italian looked immensely surprised at the Canadian boy's decision, but decided, to Matthew's surprise, instead of shouting and protesting angrily, stepped back and allowed him to do so.

"Lovino…?" Matthew began, only to get cut off.

"I understand," said the Italian. "You have a point in doing so; it's not right for us to keep Terrakion. In fact, _all _of the legendary Pokémon isn't right for us to take. Not only are they so strong, that we become corrupt assholes with their power, but they're around so that Pokémon and even _humans_ all over can get protected." And with that, Lovino nodded, "Go on, then, _Mateo_. Let out Terrakion, and release the poor bastard!"

"That would've been so inspiring had it not been for the swearing," observe Leon as he stepped forward. "None of us know properly about how to play the Time Flute, but I think I can try. I've heard brother Yao play it so many times, I have the song committed to memory now."

"Thank you," Matthew said sincerely as he gave the Time Flute to Leon. He then took out the Ultra ball and threw it out, "Go! Terrakion!"

The Cavern Pokémon gave out a bellowing roar as it snorted, its dull eyes glaring at everything around it. Unsurprisingly, everyone backed away from it, afraid of the legendary Pokémon.

Leon blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat; not daring to show that he was truly nervous right then. Trying to control his shaking hands, the Asian boy brought the Time Flute up to his lips and started playing.

Everything was silent, save for Terrakion giving a rumbling growl in its throat as it gazed around it with narrowed eyes.

The melody from Leon's playing danced and wavered around in the air in a beautiful waltz, and it truly was a pleasant sound for the ears.

Suddenly, there was a tinkling sound like that of a little bell, and at that instant, something was flying straight towards them.

A little, green, fairy-like creature was coming; it had round, toe-less feet, three-fingered hands and its clear wings were fluttering on its back. It had a round head that came to a point and stuck upwards in the back. It also had large, baby blue eyes with thick, black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae that were tipped blue.

"Celebi!" exclaimed Yong Soo. "It's Celebi, da ze!"

Leon's eyes widened as he finished playing the melody he had heard many times. He lowered the Time Flute as Celebi flew over Terrakion, looking at its fellow legendary Pokémon.

"God…I can't believe this…" breathed Lovino as he stared in awe at the petite, Time Travel Pokémon.

"Briii~!" Celebi called as it flew around Terrakion's head, sprinkling glowing green dust right on top of the Cavern legendary. Terrakion gave a low grumble in its throat as it narrowed its eyes warily onto the dust sprinkling onto it.

However, its orange eyes suddenly widened as it gave a roar.

The black shadows were all creeping out from the middle, slightly left, part of its chest and began to get gathered in a ball that was formed into Celebi's petite fingers. The ball was completely made out of shadows, however after another soft sound, the shadow's dissipated from glowing green streams of energy.

"Rak…" Terrakion grumbled as it shook its head. It then straightened itself, head held higher and it lost the cold ferocity it once harboured.

"Terrakion looks fine now," Matthew sighed in relief

The Cavern Pokémon turned its head towards them and narrowed its eyes at them, however its eyes sparked.

"W-why the hell's it looking at us with the evil eye?!" demanded Lovino as he hid behind Matthew.

"According to folklore, Terrakion, along with its allies: Cobalion, Virizion and Keldeo, mistrusted humans because humans were unnecessarily cruel to Pokémon," explained Leon. "However, that was a _long _time ago and things have changed, so I doubt those four would still harbour such a grudge towards us humans…"

"Rrrrak!" Terrakion roared, lowering its horned head, looking ready to charge.

"…never mind," Leon said awkwardly scratching his head with one hand and holding the Time Flute with the other.

However, before Terrakion could charge at the group, all of Matthew's Pokémon ran in front of them and began shouting and calling to the legendary beast.

"Choo!"

"Foo!"

"Geo!"

"Ferno!"

Pikachu however stepped forward and unleashed Shadow Bolt right at Terrakion, much to everyone's shock.

Much like their battle before, Terrakion took the Shadow move with no problem, and shook it off, however it looked angrier at being struck. It bellowed angrily at the Mouse Pokémon, "Rrak! Rakion! Terr!"

Pikachu was now on all-fours, snarling, "Kachu, pi! Pi! Pika!"

Kumajirou then stepped forward, the Chill Pokémon nodding as it spoke, "Choo, choo! Cubchoo!"

"Brriii…" Celebi said gently as it settled down and onto Terrakion's head, trying to calm its fellow legendary Pokémon down.

"What are they saying?" wondered Mei, extremely nervous.

"No clue," responded Yong Soo. "A bargaining?"

Terrakion then grumbled as it glared at Matthew. The Canadian boy then realized that he was still holding its Ultra ball in his hand. The blonde then stepped forward and held it outright, "This…this thing means you're under my control, huh?"

The Cavern Pokémon bellowed angrily and simply glared, obviously not liking that fact.

"I know you don't like that," said Matthew. "I don't think it's right, either. So does my partner." He nodded at Lovino and with that, the Canadian boy then raised his hand and threw the Ultra ball to the ground with as much strength as he could muster.

Because he threw it with a great force the Ultra ball smashed clean into two halves, unleashing a spot of white light, which quickly puffed into smoke.

Terrakion simply stared, its orange pupils contracting at the Canadian boy's actions. After surveying Matthew up and down, it then shut its eyes and stood straight again, getting out of its threatening stance.

It then bowed its head.

Matthew's own violet eyes widened as he watched Terrakion walk away into the Relic Forest with Celebi still perched on its head. Soon, its buff, lumbering figure disappeared from behind the fresh, lush, green foliage.

"Damn…Terrakion…" breathed Lovino.

Matthew smiled at his partner, "It's fine now."

"That was an impressive sight to behold," observed Leon as he nodded. He then gazed down at the flute in his hands and tried to blow through it. However, Celebi didn't come back. The Asian boy sighed, "Should've known…"

"Doesn't work anymore?" questioned Mei, disappointed.

Leon shook his head, "Nope. The mystical qualities from within have been used up…"

Lovino shrugged, "Guess it couldn't be freaking helped. That's fine; we saw the cute, little bastard once. That's enough."

"It _would _be useful if one could summon Celebi whenever one desired," remarked Leon. "But that, of course, isn't possible. Luckily, as it is inscribed in the Small Tablet and from experience firsthand, the Relic here in the Relic Forest is imbued with Celebi's power. If a Shadow Pokémon is ready to throw open its heart's door, you must visit the Relic."

Matthew and Lovino could only nod after exchanging a glance.

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

"Do you _really _have to go?" whined Yong Soo, still clinging onto Matthew.

"We gotta, kimchi bastard!" snapped Lovino. "Now…let the fuck go of _Mateo_, already, damn it!" and with that, the Italian attempted to pull the Korean boy off, but to no avail.

"_Noooo_~! I wanna hug Mattie a bit more, da ze!" cried Yong Soo.

"Yong Soo, shut up and get off of him!" yelled Mei as she attempted to pull him off herself only for him to stick his tongue out at her. "Ugh!"

"D-don't worry, Yong Soo," Matthew said with a sheepish smile and a red face. "We'll see each other again, okay? We'll come and visit once everything blows over…"

"Promise me on this one, Mattie?"

Matthew nodded, smiling gently, "Promise."

And with that, the Korean boy let go as he sighed, "I guess you still have important stuff to do, after all…okay, then! We'll hang out a lot when everything is over, da ze!"

Leon mused, "Obviously, Yong Soo is very attached to you, Matthew. Likewise, Lovino, you have made an impact on Mei. However, both of you have left a mark on me. You will both be definitely missed, that is for certain…"

"Geez, you bastards…" Lovino grumbled as he rubbed his head. "Quit it! You're making me feel mushy!"

"We'll all hang out once we're done with what we're doing," reassured Matthew. "We will."

"And I will look forward to having a rematch with you," added Leon, the fire in his eyes burning brilliantly, contrasting his usually stoic face.

Matthew nodded, an equally determined flame burning in his own violet eyes, "_Definitely_."

And with that, the pair began to go on their way again; finally leaving Liánhuāhana City to continue on their journey. Their new friends Mei, Leon and Yong Soo were waving goodbye as they watched them leave.

"Good luck on your journey, da ze!" shouted Yong Soo as he waved madly.

* * *

_Phew...this one, I think, i the longest chapter I've written in this story so far! XD_

_But, anyway...we'll go back to Matthew's whole badge collecting spree, however, the next gym isn't in Sahil City. There _is _a gym there, however that gym leader is too strong for our little Canadian hero for the moment. You can take a guess at who's the leader of Sahil City, but I'm not going to say who it is unless you're correct on your guess, which, in that case, I'll message you that you're correct._

_However, the next chapter _will _involve Matthew and Lovino going onto a lovely cruise on their way to the next town, which is Caesura Town. On the ship, though, they'll meet a fellow trainer..._

_Clue: **Ribbon**._

_Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day. :DDD_

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


	20. Going Aboard the SS Tidal

_HetaWriter/HetaReader here - _finally _gained the time to write again! XD_ _(I warned you guys - my updating times will be so random, plus I have other stories to deal with, as well as trying to collect new ideas together...TTnTT)_

_Anyway, thanks goes to **Light Trainer**__for the fave, **a hell hound and his masters **for the fave AND the follow, and a BIG thanks goes to **AliasAlliance**, **TatlTails**, **Lilypad the Fourth, Ayumi Kudou**, **FusososooLaugh, hetaliaforever123, serenity-topaz, Light Trainer **(again) and **jayvee1669 **for the reviews! :D_

_**AliasAlliance: **Well, I'm not too surprised. XD Molossia in the strips actually starts swearing off the bat at Sealand, Wy and Seborga when they go and see him to recruit him to their Micronation club. He, like all the other admins, will have a story behind him, but that won't be touched upon until _way _later in the story. Glad you like it! I wanted to make it lengthy with some action for once - it's good practice for me to write action sequences, since I'm still developing in that area. Yeah, Pikachu doesn't mind - but his turn will still take a bit of a while since he was only caught before Matthew fought Leon, which wasn't long ago. Good luck in school! :) Seriously, enjoy it while you can. :D_

_**TatlTails: **Another vote for Liechtenstein. :)_

**_Lilypad the Fourth: _**_Haha yes, ribbon. XD yes, indeed - Matthew was a real man for doing that. (In all honesty, I don't think I could ever do that...XD)_

**_Ayumi Kudou: _**_Yes, I love it that Pokemon are stretching to Europe this time creation inspiration-wise. :) Yeah, I get what you mean there - the buildings are really generic; it may alternate a few times when you go to different towns, but it's still the same, pretty much. :( you're not the only one - I tend to imagine that the Pokemon world has peace now (besides nutjob groups like Team Rocket, Team Plasma and Team Aqua/Magma running around), but I tend to also think that it has history, too (the Musketeer Pokemon defended Pokemon against abusive humans according to some old history). But yes, I don't think there would be matters like racism or sexual discrimination, which would be an ideal world to live in. :D_

**_FusososoLaugh:_**_ I'll respond to both of your comments here. XD a...chicken? 0.0 okay...actually, CanKor (Canada x South Korea) isn't as crack as one would believe - in South Korea's profile in either Vol 3, 4 or 5, it's mentioned that Korea likes Canada, though to what extent, isn't quite sure. Haha, yes I remember that one time - I was like, "Fuuuuuuuuuu-!" when I was going up and he freaking comes down the stairs; I was really unprepared for that. (Yet I kicked his ass anyway 8D) so...many...female characters...D: actually, your review makes more sense than you think. XD sweet tea, huh? What flavour? (I personally love green and honey tea, as well as ice and bubble ;D) Cobalion struck me as the old kung-fu guy, Terrakion was the large kung-fu assistant. Actually, Virizion struck me as the sassy gay friend who does the finger snapping head bobbing thing. XD_

**_hetaliaforever123: _**_Just read and find out. ;) thank you very much! :D_

**_serenity-topaz:_**_ Read and see. ;) haha, gotta love Lovino! XD don't worry, Pikachu's okay with it (remember, Matthew only snagged Pikachu just before he fought Leon, so Pikachu's gauge isn't close to being empty yet) __Estonia...why ARE you there? Or are you there? 8D w__ow, I didn't expect someone to pick up on what I'm doing with the town and city names. :D but "liánhuāhana" is actually a portmanteau of the Chinese word "liánhuā" (which you correctly said means lotus), and the Japanese word "hana" (which means flower). Hence "lotus flower", but I'm aware that "liánhuā" itself can just mean the lotus flower itself, but I was in a rush to think of a city name, so...XD I also made it a portmanteau to symbolize that the city itself represents Asia (in my own personal notes, this city would be the largest out of the others, almost bested by an American based one I will not disclose yet). _

**_Light Trainer:_**_ Thank you very much! :) I wondered why nobody thought of making a HetaliaxPokemon story where it had Colosseum and XD elements, so I took the chance to write one. :D I really want a Pokemon game with the whole snagging element again, but possibly with gyms and a league, too. However, I'm eager for X and Y. :D_

**_jayvee1669: _**_Read and see who it is! ;)_

**_Disclaimer:_**_I do NOT own Pokemon or Hetalia._

_"With that said, I, Canada, welcome all new residents! My warm, inviting and affordable land can't be beat! (I think.)"_

* * *

It was a tiresome route to get to Sahil City, and once Matthew and Lovino made it, they were sighing greatly in relief, and paused for a moment at the top of a great, green hill that overlooked the whole city.

Sahil City was notably close to the ocean, being a port town. The port was however, very large – consisting of several yachts and boats that were docked, as well as a few of them floating lazily at sea; probably for fishing. However, there were more sights in Sahil City than just being a port town – there were rocky landscapes that, despite being rugged with age, had a certain rustic, natural beauty to it.

What caught Matthew's eyes the most however, were two large buildings at different ends of the city.

One was a large, grand, blue mosque that had a beautiful garden of tulips spreading at the front of it. The other building had a massive dome and its exterior was tinted yellow and red, glinting in a lovely fashion when the sun hit it while the blue mosque glowed softly.

When they came into the city, Matthew wanted to badly go to the two buildings; his curiosity peaking especially when he and Lovino passed by some beautiful restaurants and saw the blue mosque in view. The Canadian boy was about to speak up to ask his Italian partner if they could see it before going on the S.S. Tidal, when Lovino spoke up, "Oi, _Mateo_! Check it out!"

He pointed at a grand house built with thick stone walls, no doubt, to keep the blaring sun from blasting its rays. The house was painted white, and had a black, tin roof, as well as having about several more glass windows instead of the typical number on a usual house.

Matthew then noticed that there was a large sign that spoke of a language he had no clue what it was.

Upon closer inspection however, he and Lovino saw that it was indeed the gym, however the sign was freshly painted and there was a little tag that read, _"Closed for renovations. Sorry for the inconvenience!"_

"Oh? Where's the leader, then?" wondered Matthew.

Lovino shrugged, "Hell would I know? But…this ain't the gym we want, anyway, so let's just keep going."

"R-right…" Matthew nodded. "To the cruise!"

And so, Matthew and Lovino continued along their way to the docks where the S.S. Tidal itself was placed. However, the Canadian boy couldn't help but feel both relieved and disappointed as they went past the blue mosque, and the gym – he was curious about who the leader was, what type they specialised in, and what lay inside of those beautiful buildings.

The S.S. Tidal was a luxurious cruise ship; large in size, width and height. Matthew marvelled at how something so large was able to float.

"Welcome to the S.S. Tidal!" greeted a sailor as they made their way up the ramp, past other people who were also on their way to board the ship. "Excuse me, do you both have a ticket?"

"Here, bastard," Lovino said curtly as he and Matthew flashed their tickets.

"Great!" the sailor didn't seem to mind being called a bastard as he took their tickets and punched holes in the appropriate places. "Welcome to the S.S. Tidal!"

The pair entered the S.S. Tidal, and at once, coming inside, both were awed at the huge ship's interior, and just how beautifully decorated it was. There were streamers and balloons, possibly signalling a party, as well as a colourful banner that had several Pokémon dancing in glee on it.

"Here, you go!" one of the crew members, a woman, smiled as she handed them a schedule in the form of a pamphlet. "Enjoy your stay!"

"Thanks," responded Matthew as he took one.

"_Grazie_, _bella_," Lovino said, flashing her a wink before leaving, making the woman flush even more and smile from ear-to-ear.

Matthew rolled his violet eyes from behind his glasses as he shook his head. Lovino saw this action and scowled, "What? What are you looking at, _Mateo_?"

"Oh…nothing…" the Canadian boy said with a light chuckle.

Looking through the pamphlet schedule, Matthew saw that apparently, there would be lunch being served in the Grand Dining Room, as well as Afternoon Sessions of Pokémon classes and other fun activities such as a spa, yoga, indoor basketball and soccer, a games room…

…but what caught Matthew's eye the most was the evening schedule.

There was something in the evening known simply as the Pokémon Party. Here, dinner would be served, again in the Grand Dining Room, however afterward, everyone would move into the Indoor Training Room and there, there was going to be what was called the Battle Tag Royale.

Reading on even more, Matthew was even more excited about that event – due to the fact that so many trainers had bought a ticket for the cruise that year, the event this time was going to be a Battle Royale where trainers would be teamed up with another trainer, and each use one Pokémon in a match. However, they can use any of the Pokémon they had in their party.

But that event was going to happen later on – after dinner at about seven in the evening.

Matthew really couldn't wait for that.

Lovino could see that his Canadian partner was excited at something, and flipped the pamphlet over, reading what Matthew had read. The Italian arched an eyebrow, _'This is new…'_ he thought to himself.

It was definitely something Matthew would like, though.

But until then, it wouldn't hurt to just explore the ship and see what kind of people were there, too.

"The passengers are restless from this long voyage," sighed a sailor when they caught his eye as they went down a huge hallway. "You might even be challenged by the more bored ones! Some are just that impatient for the upcoming Battle Tag Royale!"

"Good to know," remarked Matthew as he blinked.

"Yeah, thanks bastard," said Lovino as they continued along the way.

"_Bonjour_!" a slim, young, brown-haired waiter said in a French accent. "I am _le _waiter on the ship! I will be happy to serve you anything you please!" At the silence from the pair, the chef chuckled, "Ah~! _Le _strong, silent type!"

The pair continued, gong up some stairs, and eventually reached a room with a golden 111 that was on the door, above the peephole. Upon entering it, Lovino immediately lay on the bed, which consisted of sea-blue covers, and an indigo blanket.

"Are you tired already?" Matthew questioned incredulously.

Lovino quirked an eye open as he grumbled, "Let me have my siesta; travelling to get to this damn boat was enough of a fucking workout for me."

Matthew sighed; Lovino taking a nap, or what he called a siesta, was not an uncommon occurrence – he always had to have one in the middle of the day from between eleven to one. How long those siestas were depended on Lovino, but Matthew noticed that the Italian slept for at least three hours, and at the most, six.

The Canadian boy then asked, "Are you just going to lie there?"

"Yes, and you can't make me get up, bastard," was the Italian's response as he rolled onto his side, facing Matthew. His amber eyes narrowed as he discarded his cap and shades, revealing his curl, which bounced out upon release. "Go explore the ship if you want, but if I ain't awake by the time the Pokémon Party's on, just go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Matthew nodded as he shrugged, causing Lovino to roll back onto his other side and have his eyes exposed to a beautiful view of people having fun on the deck, a clear sky filled with fluffy clouds, a calm ocean, and women tanning…

It was only eleven-thirty, but Matthew took the bag that Lovino usually carried, and decided to explore the ship. It was the first time in a long time that the Canadian boy was exploring a place with no companion, and honestly, it felt…odd not to have that presence next to you and hear snarky curses every so often.

But Matthew's curiosity of the ship got the better of him, and so he went exploring.

He went through various rooms that were decorated in a somewhat similar fashion, but with alternate pieces of decoration. And indeed, as the second sailor said before, there were bored trainers, and upon seeing the pair, picked a battle with Matthew.

"I am but a solitary traveller," remarked a gentleman as he tipped his hat. "My sole companions and friends are Pokémon I caught on my journeys." After the battle, he gasped at his fainted Pokémon, "My…my friends…"

"S-sorry…!" Matthew said sheepishly as he quickly left.

The next room had a young lady who was alone. However, she brightened upon seeing Matthew, "You look tired. Would you like to take a short rest?"

"Erm…no thank you…" the Canadian boy said, his face now scarlet.

"Oh, I'm sorry for fussing over you," apologized the woman. "You just remind me of my little brother."

Matthew continued into another room, and this time, got challenged by a more aggressive elderly gentleman, "You insolent pup! How dare you barge in!" he roared. Even after Matthew beat him, though, the gentleman snapped, "Hmph! You rude child! You have no sense of courtesy!"

The Canadian boy just fled out of the room and into another one, where a female ace trainer arched an eyebrow at him, but shrugged, "Oh…are you the waiter? Well, waiter, I would like a cherry pie, please!"

"O-oh! I'm not a waiter," Matthew apologized as he left. "Sorry."

"A world cruise is so elegant and cosy!" sighed a father as he walked with his little girl.

The little girl smiled when Matthew spoke to her, "I always travel with Wigglytuff. I never leave home without it."

"I love Pokémon!" grinned a youngster when he caught eyes with Matthew and ran up to him. "Do you?" after they fought, though, he had no hard feelings. "Wow! You're great!" he marvelled.

"I collected these Pokémon from all around the world!" declared a lass who looked impatient. After she was beaten, she wailed, "Oh no! I went around the world to lose!"

Matthew next found himself in the kitchens, where, much to his surprise, nobody bothered get him kicked out. There were a number of chefs preparing meals and a beautiful smell wafted in the air, causing Matthew's mouth to drool and to feel at home back in Tatserr Town with his mama.

"I'm so busy, I'm getting dizzy!" spoke up a chef who was annoyed at the Canadian boy blocking the way. "You have to give me room here!"

"O-oh!" Matthew jumped out of the way. "Sorry!" however, he continued looking inside the kitchen, his curiosity peaking.

"Ahem! Indeed, I am _le _head chef!" a large, portly man cleared his throat, voice traced with a noticeable French accent. "_Le _main course is…_eels au barbecue_! _Les _guests will mutiny, I fear…"

"Um…eels?" Matthew asked, unsure. _'For lunch or dinner?'_

"You _mon ami_!" barked another chef, voice also lined with a distinct French accent. "We're busy here! Out of the way!"

After exploring the kitchen a bit more and immersing himself with the delectable aromas inside of it, Matthew finally left and went up a set of stairs and to another floor.

"This ship, she is a luxury liner for people of the world!" stated a sailor. "At every port, we hold parties with invited trainers and guests!"

"Our captain was once a martial arts master," informed another sailor. "He's awesome at using Rock Smash. They say he even teaches Rock Smash to Pokémon!"

Matthew then went out onto the deck with that little bout of information embedded in his head, and saw a bunch of people around doing a bunch of activities. There were some who were looking through binoculars and have a better view at the sights of Sahil City (which Matthew still was interested with), while others were playing a game of volleyball in what appeared to be a compartment with thick glass walls so the ball wouldn't fly out to the ocean.

The Canadian boy felt his face heat up when he saw that most of the people here were clad only in swimwear. Particularly the girls…

When he quickly looked away, a sailor caught his gaze and challenged him, "Ahoy there! Are you seasick?" after he got beaten, he sighed, "I was just careless…"

Continuing along his way, Matthew saw a man who looked like he was going to puke at any moment, "Urf…I feel ill…" the man groaned. "I got seasick, so I stepped out to get some air…"

"Whew!" another sailor wiped at his brow as he took his mop and a bucket of water. "Scrubbing decks is hard work!"

"Hey matey!" yet again, _another _sailor beamed at Matthew. "Let's do a little jig!" once he was beaten by the Canadian boy, he laughed merrily, "You're impressive!"

"The Pokémon party's gonna happen as soon as the boat leaves," squealed a youngster in excitement. "The ship will be departing soon!"

"Party…" Matthew smiled softly. "Yes, that sounds nice."

Going into the Grand Dining Room, Matthew saw a gentleman who sighed. When the Canadian boy walked up to him to see if there was anything wrong, he discovered that the elderly bloke was simply wondering. "I've journeyed far and wide, but in all my travels, I've never seen any Pokémon sleep like this one!" said the gentleman. "It was something like this!" he then showed Matthew a picture of a large Pokémon with a great belly, a round head, two pointed teeth protruding from its mouth, two eyes that were just slanted lines, two hind feet with three claws and a circular brown pad. The arms and fore claws were shot, and it was dark blue or some sort of dark blue-green colour.

"What is that?" wondered Matthew in awe at the Pokémon in the photo.

"Why, it's a Snorlax!" chuckled the gentleman. "Quite an interesting Pokémon, isn't it?'

"Snorlax, huh?" Matthew took out his Pokédex to look up information about the Pokémon in the photo.

"_**Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon, and the evolved form of Munchlax," **_said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. _**"When its belly is full, it becomes too lethargic to even lift a finger, so it is safe to bounce on its belly. It can eat 400 kilograms of food before feeling full."**_

"Maple, that's a _lot _of food," Matthew said with widened violet eyes.

After bidding the gentleman farewell, Matthew continued exploring the ship where he fought a few more trainers. Eventually, he decided to go and see the captain, remembering what one of the sailors had said about their captain being a professional with the move Rock Smash.

By then, an announcer called, "The S.S. Tidal is about to depart! Sit back, relax, and we hope you enjoy your cruise!"

Matthew nodded as he could hear a loud horn honk in response to the announcement. The Canadian boy continued along his way, going past two women who were deep in conversation. He stopped when his ears caught the word, _'Captain' _in their talk.

"The captain said he's awfully sick," said one of the women. "He was all pale."

"Well, I hear many people get seasick," responded her companion. "But really? A captain who sails a ship that gets seasick?"

This prompted Matthew to eventually continue, and end up at what appeared to be a way to the captain's quarters. Unfortunately, as he was going into a rush, he bumped into something and took a step back from the unexpectedness of it all.

He could hear a squeal.

"Hey! Be careful!" snapped a familiar voice.

Matthew blinked, "Michelin?"

Indeed, the Seychellois stopped from her rant and a bright beam immediately spread across her tanned face, "Mattie! Hi! How are you? It's been ages!" she immediately reached forward and enveloped him in a hug, causing his face to heat up.

"I'm doing well," Matthew smiled. "You?"

The Seychellois gave a tinkling laugh, "Really well! Imagine seeing you here! You were invited, too? That's so cool!"

Matthew gave a slightly nervous chuckle, remembering how he and Lovino gained their tickets. "Yeah, kinda…"

"Say, where's your partner?" questioned Michelin. "Or did he leave already?"

"Oh no," Matthew shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "He's just taking a nap – he's exhausted from the journey to here."

"Fair enough," Michelin shrugged. "How's your Pokédex doing by the way?"

"It's doing fine, I guess," replied Matthew. "How about you?"

"Really great!" beamed Michelin. "I already caught forty kinds of Pokémon!"

"Really?" the Canadian boy's violet eyes popped in their sockets. "That many? Wow! Good job!"

"_Merci_~!" grinned Michelin sincerely. "Well, there are different kinds of Pokémon everywhere. You just have to crawl around in the grass or trek through caves to find them, and bam! There they are!"

"Michelin!" a soft voice called. "I think the captain's sick in there."

A young girl immediately bound to Michelin's side. She had light blonde hair in a chin-length bob cut and wore a blue ribbon on the right side of her head. She was also wearing a pretty, long-sleeved magenta dress with white cuffs and collar, along with a neck bow that was coloured dark blue that matched her ribbon, tights, and Mary Jane shoes. She also had large green eyes that softly settled onto Matthew.

"Really?" the Seychellois girl blinked. Noticing Matthew's wondering expression as well as the one on the younger girl's face, Michelin chortled. "Matthew, this is Erika, and Erika, meet Matthew!"

"Hello, how are you, sir?" the girl asked, a pleasant smile spread onto her face as she gave a curtsy in Matthew's direction.

Matthew couldn't help but smile here; that was so cute, and it was rare to find people greet someone so formally now. "I'm doing well," the Canadian boy responded. "It's nice to meet you, Erika."

"Michelin talks about you," said Erika fondly. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"So you're both travelling together?" questioned Matthew, interested.

Michelin nodded, "Yup! We met each other at Vice Town and we've been travelling together ever since!"

"It's a good idea," said Erika. "It's nice to travel with someone."

"Tell me about it," agreed Matthew. "So…you're both here because you heard about…?"

"That the ship's captain is a master of Rock Smash?" here Michelin grinned mischievously. "Oh, yeah! Think he'll teach us?"

"Maybe…" here Erika looked worried. "But he sounded quite ill in there."

"Well, that's just a bigger invitation to check it out!" declared Michelin. "Come on! Let's all go and check it out!"

Before either Matthew or Erika could stop Michelin from possibly interrupting, the Seychellois girl opened the doors and indeed, it did lead to the captain's chambers, where there was a beautiful view of the ocean as well as the wheel nearby and a desk with a huge map of the region on it.

However, the poor captain was puking right into a bucket, his back facing the three youngsters who entered his quarters.

"Ooargh…" he groaned as he released the contents from his stomach again. "I feel hideous…urrp! Seasick…"

Erika then came cautiously forward and began rubbing the captain's back, giving him a remedial massage. "Just relax," she said soothingly.

Matthew and Michelin watched for a little bit of a while as the Liechtenstein girl continued rubbing, making the man feel well again.

The man then stood up and sighed in relief, facing the three young trainers, "Whew! Thank you! I'm feeling much better now. Ah, let me guess – you youngsters wanted to see my hidden Rock Smash technique?" seeing their eager faces, the captain sighed, "I _could _show you my prized Rock Smash technique if I weren't so ill…" seeing their expressions droop, the captain rubbed his chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers, "I know! You can have this instead! This Hidden Machine!" he then pulled out three HM disks. "Teach Rock Smash to your Pokémon, and you can see it Rock Smash anytime!"

"Thank you," Matthew said as he placed the disk in the TM Case in the bag.

"You can use Rock Smash when there are boulders in your way," said the captain. "You can try it out at places with great terrain. Like at Sahil City or Thrýlos Town."

"Wow…" remarked Michelin after they all thanked him again and left the captain's quarters. "Who knew that the captain of a huge cruise ship and a former master of Rock Smash was just a seasick old man!"

"Rock Smash itself is very useful," spoke up Erika.

"Yeah," agreed Michelin. "It'll come in handy."

"So…what are you two going to do now?" questioned Matthew.

Michelin shrugged, "Probably gonna explore and fool around until dinner comes and the Battle Tag Royale comes around." Here, the Seychellois girl's brown eyes were blazing excited flames, "And I _really _can't wait for that to come! I'm so pumped for that!"

Erika gave a soft chuckle, "Me, too. I'm really excited on who my partner is going to be."

"Yeah, same here," smiled Matthew, also feeling quite enthusiastic for tonight's main event. The S.S. Tidal was a cruise ship that circled the world and obtained people from all kinds of places; it made the Canadian boy eager to see what sort of a trainer he would be paired up with for the event.

What is their home like? What sort of Pokémon will they be using? He really can't wait.

"Well, it's only two o'clock," spoke up Erika looking at her magenta P*DA that was also decorated with elegant, floral etching. "We still have plenty of time to do other things."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "Maybe we can just explore the ship a bit more?"

"Definitely!" grinned Michelin. "Full speed ahead! Let's have some fun!"

And so, that was how the three young trainers began to immerse themselves with the ship and the entertainment it provided.

First, the three went around a bit more, talking to random people. Everyone was quite friendly, possibly because it was a great opportunity to make new friends and meet new people from all kinds of places.

"My grandpa and I think the Safari Zone is awesome!" a little boy grinned at the three of them.

"Have you gone to the Safari Zone in Thrýlos Town?" questioned the child's grandpa. "There are many kinds of Pokémon there."

The three of them also played some volleyball in the glass compartment, all of them playing along with some Pokémon as well. It was a fun game until a guy had made a rather rude pass on Michelin. The Seychellois girl took revenge by spiking the volleyball, smashing it straight into the rude, young man's face.

'_You never mess with her,' _Matthew thought to himself as he saw that the young man had a crushed nose.

During all that, there was a rather princely looking young man who was simply watching in interest, wearing a formal suit as well as a fedora. He had a Lilligant standing at his side as he watched the game. After seeing Michelin smash the guy's face in, the princely, young man gave a chuckle, frame shaking slightly from his laughter.

Michelin heard his laugh and turned her head to face him. She flushed slightly at the sight of him, and quickly looked away to get her focus back into the game when he opened his eyes and lifted his head to watch the game again. By the time the game was over, though, the young man was no longer present, disappointing her.

After playing some more sports on the sky deck, which included more volleyball, indoor basketball and some hocket (to which Matthew had _crushed _the living daylights out of), the three young trainers decided to have a small snack of ice-cream from gaining sweat before going to the indoor water park. Going to the open bar, they went to an ice-cream bar that was being run by a kind lady as well as a strange Pokémon floating near her.

Matthew stared at the Pokémon in question – it had a large, rounded upper body with a swirled feature atop, making it resemble a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Its eyes were light blue with dark bluish pupils, with small, icy adornments at the sides, and a dark-bluish mouth with two specks of ice below its mouth, as well as stubby, icicle-like limbs. Its lower body was pointed and icicle-like, with its upper body's resemblance to that of a scoop of ice-cream, resembling a sugar ice-cream cone that he once had with his mama and brother.

"Hello there!" greeted the lady. "What would you three like?"

"Some tropical passionfruit for me!" piped up Michelin raising her hand, looking quite happy at the thought of having ice-cream.

"I would like some mint chocolate chip, please," said Erika politely, her hands clasped at her front.

"How about you, boy?" asked the woman.

Matthew blinked, "Oh! S-sorry…" he gave a sheepish smile. "Um…"

The woman chuckled however, "Staring at my Vanillish, I see?"

"Vanillish?"

"Yes, Vanillish."

Here, Erika took out her Pokédex to look up the Icy Snow Pokémon. _**"Vanillish, the Icy Snow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Vanillite,"**_ said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. _**"They cool own the surrounding air, and create ice particles, which they use to freeze their foes. Vanillish creates ice energy internally by drinking water from lakes or rivers."**_

"Vanillish! Lish!" the Icy Snow Pokémon said, giving a rather goofy smile at the three trainers.

"Well, I'll have maple and walnut, please," responded Matthew finally.

"Here you three go," smiled the woman as she gave the three their ice-creams with Vanillish assisting her. "Have a nice day!"

"Vanillish!" agreed the Icy Snow Pokémon, still smiling.

After immersing themselves with their ice-cream, the three then changed into swimwear and went to the indoor water park. Matthew was glad his mama insisted that he pack some board shorts just in case he went to a pool or something like that.

He was the first to finish changing, with Michelin and Erika following him after. Erika was wearing a one piece bathing suit that consisted of the same colour of her dress, while Michelin wearing a two-piece that was white, contrasting well with her darker skin.

Matthew averted his eyes, his face one fire as she pulled both him and Erika into the water and soon, began splashing around. The Canadian boy was also glad that he packed the spare contacts before leaving home; it proved to be really useful here, even though it felt odd on his eyes.

It was here that somebody gave a loud war cry like how Tarzan did in that one movie with him and the Infernape herd. The three of them looked up, and, much to their amazement and shock, a well-built young man with a Marill on his head, looking just as excited as its trainer.

Needless to say, once the guy and his Marill landed, there was a great splash as a huge shot of water was brought up. Everyone was soaked and people either squealed in delight, shock or horror.

Matthew's curl was dangling in a droopy fashion once the great splash subsided, and he could see that Michelin's mat over her eyes while Erika's hair was now soggy, some of the bits at the front looking longer.

After spending time in the indoor water park, the three finally decided to go in the arcade just to play with some games while they were drying off. Great lights were flashing beautiful colours as a pop beat and blaring music played in the air, creating a loopy, yet imaginative atmosphere befitting the arcade.

Once they bought some tokens, the three young trainers were immediately going around to try and win some tickets.

"Oooh! Look at that!" Michelin squealed, her eyes flashing as she pointed at a Sharpedo plushie. "That is _so _adorable!"

Matthew looked at the plushie in question, and was met by sharp teeth and a rather roguish design. The Canadian gave a nervous chuckle after looking at Erika's confused expression, "Yeah…okay. It's cute." The Canadian boy saw from a sign that the Sharpedo plushie cost fifty tickets.

It got him thinking…

And so, that was when they all decided to win some tickets, and hopefully gain some prizes. Michelin was determined to get that Sharpedo plushie while Erika couldn't make up her mind. They first went to a fighting game with oriental warriors that had Pokémon assist them. The next game was a shooting one with balls that had many kinds of patterns that depicted a Pokémon: yellow with black stripes and two red circles, light blue with white circles and a dark blue top, pale pink and many others. Another game involved squirting at a group of Ducklett to get into a tunnel, and there were many more games there in that arcade.

Still, they were only able to scrape forty-five tickets, which wasn't enough to get Michelin's Sharpedo plushie, and nowhere close to getting anything that either Erika or Matthew would want.

That was when the three saw a crowd of people were surrounding a particular game.

Upon closer inspection, Matthew saw that it was a shooting gallery. There were three people who were each shooting while wearing a visor with ear mufflers to minimize the loud sounds.

"Lopunny! Lop!"

"I know, I know…I got 'em…"

Matthew saw that one of the people taking part, a tall man with spiky hair and a scarf, had a Lopunny that was standing by his side as he continued shooting. It was also pointing desperately and gesturing with its head at some targets as the man released another round.

Soon, Matthew saw that Michelin was getting enthusiastic with cheering them on, "Go, go, go!" she shouted as she punched a fist, along with other people. Erika meanwhile, shuffled uncomfortably.

Once the round was over, Matthew saw that the tall man with the Lopunny had the highest score. When the three contenders took off their ear mufflers and visors, applause was immediately met at the tall man's success as a bunch of tickets shot out from the slot nearby.

However, before the man could take his prize, one of his opponents, a trainer no doubt, then yelled, "That wasn't a fair game at all! You cheated!"

The tall man paused. He narrowed his pale green eyes dangerously, "I cheated? Have anything to back that up?"

The trainer stabbed a finger at the man's Lopunny, "Your Pokémon helped you!"

"She did not."

"Yes, it did!"

"_She_ did not."

"He's telling the truth."

Everyone was shocked, particularly Matthew and Michelin, to see that it was Erika who spoke. She took a step forward and curtsied, "I can prove it."

"Oh, yeah?" snorted the trainer. "How?"

"Let me partake."

"You?!" the trainer laughed as well as some of the members of the crowd. "A little girl? Seriously?"

The tall man however ignored the laughter and, after rubbing his chin, inserted five tokens from a pouch on his hip. Immediately, the game started again, ready for contenders to take part. Once the laughter subsided, the tall man was the one who snorted, "Let's see. Don't laugh at her 'cause she's a little girl. Laugh when you actually win…"

The trainer glared, but rolled his eyes as he placed his earmuffs back on, along with the visor. Erika did the same while the other contender decided to sit out. She daintily picked up the gun in her petite hands and went into a typical aiming position, her legs slightly spread out.

There was an ongoing blast of gunshots that followed soon after.

Matthew could only stare in amazement while Michelin's jaw dropped to the ground; Erika was very good at it – she was instantly shooting all the targets with a dead-on aim, her points immediately blasting up at a rapid rate. The crowd was just as stunned, but soon, started rooting her on. The tall man could only chuckle when he saw the trainer get red in the face as he progressively got frustrated at losing to a girl.

It was clear to see that by the time the game was over, Erika had _obliterated_ the guy. Once the crowd's applause and whooping died down, the trainer yelled childishly, "It was a stupid game, anyway! You're just a little girl!"

Erika flinched, but that was when the tall man stepped forward, "She's a little girl that kicked your ass."

"You wanna start something?" challenged the trainer. "I challenge you and your Lopunny!"

The tall man simply gave a dark chuckle that rumbled from within his throat as he shook his head, "You do realize that's a stupid thing to say – we're in an arcade; it would get ruined. I'll fight you when the Battle Tag Royale starts." He then moved his sleeve up and revealed a silver wristwatch and arched an eyebrow, "Which is after dinner, which is going to be served quite soon…"

Before Erika could thank him, however, he left with his Lopunny loyally following him. "Tickets are all yours, little girl," he called over his shoulder as he left with his hands now in his pockets. "You beat my score, too."

Matthew was quite impressed by that tall man, wondering if he'll ever see him again, but at the same time, dreading the thought of fighting him in a Pokémon battle. His Pokémon looked friendly enough, but the trainer…

…not so much.

"Crap! He's right!" squealed Michelin. "It's almost time for dinner!"

"Hey!" Matthew shouted when the trainer that lost to Erika and the tall man in the shooting gallery suddenly grabbed the tickets and made a run for it. "Hey! That was unfair!"

"You bastard!" shouted Michelin as she stamped her foot in anger. "What the hell?! You sore loser! How _dare_ you! Those were Erika's! You-!"

"Calm down, _bella_."

"Oh, Lovino!" Matthew said in surprise, seeing the Italian now up and about, this time wearing a black jacket with fur trimming on its hood, however he was still wearing the baseball cap and the shades. "You're up?"

Lovino rolled his eyes from behind his sunglasses, "What's it look like, _Mateo_?" noticing Erika, he gave a small smile as he looked down, "And who might you be?"

"My name is Erika," said the Liechtenstein girl as she gave a curtsey. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise," chuckled Lovino as he gave a bow. "I was looking all over for you, _Mateo_ – I didn't think I'd see Michelin here, too. I see the _signorina _is still angry. Just what happened?"

Matthew gave a nervous chuckle as Michelin continued ranting in direction to where the unfair trainer ran off to. "Well…I'll tell you on the way to the dining hall…"

After the Canadian boy told the Italian what happened, Lovino's amber eyes widened, "Seriously?! What the hell?! That son of a bitch!"

Matthew sighed, "Yeah, it was unfair…" he then took a seat at one of the round tables. Lovino placed himself on the Canadian's right while Michelin seated herself on Matthew's left, Erika taking her other side.

Soon, the Grand Dining Hall was filled with people and some Pokémon, too. Soon, after checking the menus and ordering, their food was brought out. Matthew felt his mouth water as more of the delectable aromas wafted breezily in the cool air. When Lovino caught sight of some of the _ravioli _he ordered, the smells reminded and also, the taste, reminded him of home.

He saw that Matthew had ordered what appeared to be some bacon as well as a tart. Michelin also had the same kind of tart the Canadian boy had, as well as some fish. Erika was eating, much to Lovino's disgust, potatoes with a salad.

It was a pleasant dinner and beautiful servings of dessert, as well as some nice chatter that accompanied it.

That was when the announcer spoke on the system, "Trainers? Calling all trainers!" once everyone's conversations died down, the announced continued, "The Battle Tag Royale will begin shortly! If you would like to participate, please make your way to the Indoor Training Room! You will have to show your trainer ID first in order to participate. Those who would like to watch, please make your way to the upstairs segment."

"Looks like you three are gonna get into action, soon," spoke up Lovino as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. "You ready for it?"

Matthew nodded, "Yeah; I really can't wait!"

"Me, too!" piped up Michelin with a big beam, now bouncing in her seat. "This is so exciting!"

"It is, isn't it?" Erika asked with a soft smile. "Shall we go, then?"

"See you's later, then," said Lovino as he gave a nod to them. "Good luck to you three! I'll watch from up there, okay? _Ciao_!"

After departing with Lovino, the three young trainers flashed their trainer cards, which was their ID, to the woman who was at the desk. Once they registered, she smiled, "Good luck and have fun in our Battle Tag Royale! Please, pick a number." She then motioned to what appeared to be a little lottery machine where you had to spin the handle around and a ball would tip out.

"I'll go first," smiled Michelin. "Wish me luck!" she took the handle and after the contraption worked, a white ball tipped out with the number thirty on it, written in bold, black ink. "Thirty?"

The woman at the registration nodded with a smile, "This year, from our ticket registrations to our cruise, we were able to see that we gained eighty trainers in total. So, there are forty balls in total in the machine. Whoever has your number is your partner."

"Cool!" Michelin's brown eyes sparkled in delight. "I can't wait to meet them!"

The registration woman laughed pleasantly, "Just go near the screen where the other trainers are waiting. I'm sure you'll meet your partner there. Just look for someone with the same number as you."

"Okay, got it," Matthew nodded as Erika took a timid step forward and spun the contraption, eventually getting the number five. She then stepped out of the way to let Matthew have his turn.

The Canadian boy took the ball once it felt out of the contraption and saw that it had the number twenty-two on it.

"Very good!" said the woman registering the trainers. "I hope you three do your best and have fun at our Battle Tag Royale! It's lovely prize!"

"Thank you very much, ma'am," Erika said with a polite bow with her hands clasped forward. Matthew and Michelin took her to the next room, introduced to blaring white lights as well as eighty separate arenas in the massive room and various balconies at the top where bystanders watched and cheered, excited for the night's event.

Matthew gazed around up and could eventually see Lovino standing a bit off from others. The Italian flashed him a thumbs-up, to which the Canadian boy felt much more confident as the twisting in his stomach disappeared.

"Well," sighed Michelin. "Since none of us have the same number, I guess our partners are out there somewhere waiting for us."

"We shouldn't let them wait," said Erika. "So, good luck to you two. Just try your hardest."

"Yeah!" laughed Michelin. "Good luck to you, too! Never give up!"

"I'll see you two later," Matthew nodded as the three finally parted ways.

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

Michelin was wandering around, looking around at trainers' balls and at her own. "Number thirty…number thirty…number thirty…" she continuously muttered to himself. "Number thirty…man, where are you…?"

She was instantly cut off when she accidentally bumped into someone, hearing a loud _'oomph!' _as well as giving a startled grunt herself, she accidentally dropped her ball as well as the person she collided into.

"Oh no!" she squawked. "My ball! Um…" she quickly dived to the floor to grab her ball. When she turned it around, she sighed in relief and picked up the other one in her other hand. She stretched her hand out to give it to the person she bumped into, "Here! You dropped your ball!" she then flipped his ball around just to see what number he was, a little curious, when she saw, to her amazement, that his number was the same as hers.

The person she bumped into straightened his posture, and the Seychellois girl felt that she saw him somewhere. Blinking, she tried to wrack her brain to try and recall just _where _she saw him from, when the young man blinked and squinted at her.

He then beamed warmly as he spoke up, "Oh! I remember you! You're the girl who was playing volleyball!"

Michelin blinked her eyes again, and instantly remember just who he was; he was that exotic-looking young man who was watching with a Lilligant by his side. She then responded, "I remember you, too! You were watching!" she then showed her ball; to show that their numbers were matching. "We match!"

He chortled as he took his ball and tipped his fedora, "Indeed, we do. It's nice to meet you in person, partner."

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

Erika was shyly trudging around the great mass of trainers to see who her partner was. She only walked a little bit more, when she saw a Marill that was bounding excitedly ahead, jumping every so often in joy as it gave squeaks of delight, probably happy to partake in the Battle Tag Royale.

The Liechtenstein girl smiled when the Marill suddenly stopped right in front of her. She leaned down a bit and if possible, the Aqua Mouse Pokémon was reacting even more excitedly.

"Hey! There you are, Marill! You found our partner yet?"

Erika looked up to see that it was the guy who had done a cannonball in the water park, drenching everyone. He gave a warm smile as he leaned down as well and beamed, "Well, hello there, sheila! Could you be my partner?"

He flashed his number, which was the number five. Erika gave a small, shy smile as she nodded and showed her own ball; the numbers matching. This caused the older bloke to laugh pleasantly as he stood up straight and offered his hand out to shake, "Well, that's certainly a beaut! Nice to meet ya!"

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

Matthew was trudging around, asking various people if they had the number twenty-two, but to his disappointment, nobody had it so far. He felt more nervous, anticipating just who his partner was going to be for this cruise event.

The Canadian boy squinted every so often to peer at people's balls as they were walking around or standing idly by, waiting for someone to gain the courage to go up to them and ask what number they were.

Licking his lips, Matthew ran a hand through his hair, careful to miss his curl, and pushed his glasses back up their perch. This was seriously getting ridiculous; just _who _the maple was his partner?

He continued searching along the crowd, when he could hear a dispute going on. Curious, he snuck closer to see what was going on, and get a proper hearing of the conversation.

At once, he saw the same trainer who had stolen Erika's tickets, again harassing the man who owned the Lopunny.

"I'm ready to beat your ass!"

"Assuming you're not my partner, first," the man then flashed his ball, to which Matthew almost fell over in shock by when he caught sight of the number on it. "You number twenty-two?"

"That's a sucky number!" laughed the trainer. "No way would I be your partner! I'll _crush _you and your partner!"

"Good luck with that one, kid," the man rolled his eyes as he turned his back to him, looking rather bored. He stopped when Matthew immediately came closer to him. "Something wrong?"

"You're…" Matthew took a deep breath, feeling both excited yet intimidated. "You're number twenty-two?"

The man blinked then flashed his ball, the number in black ink.

Matthew instantly showed him his own ball, the numbers identical. "That's me!" the Canadian smiled. "So…I guess…we're partner."

"Indeed," the man nodded. There was an amused glint that took place in his pale green eyes as he surveyed Matthew up and down. He then rubbed his chin, "This'll certainly be interesting…"

_**Pokétalia Fly High: Maple Version!**_

From high up on his spot on his balcony, surveying down at the trainers, Lovino rubbed his chin as he saw the three trainers he knew meet up with their partners, chatting away and just walking around while others were trying to find their own partners.

The Italian nodded as he leaned against the wall at the side, getting into a more comfortable position. He mused, "Thing are about to get fucking interesting, alright…"

* * *

_And so, the chapter comes to a close. I call Liechtenstein Erika because it's one of the names that Himaruya listed as potential names for her, and it suits her, me thinks (plus, Liechtenstein reminds me of gym leader Erika from the Pokemon games with the bobcut, hair accessory and being lady-like XD). _

_Anyway, this chapter's challenge: try and guess who Matthew, Michelin and Erika's partners are._

_Michelin's partner: **Fedora **and **dance**.  
Erika's partner: The **way he talks** should be enough. But if you want an easier clue, than **sheep**.  
Matthew's partner: **Canada and the country this person is from has one of the more special bonds.** _

_I know that for Matthew's partner, the clue would be tricky for some, but there are obvious hints in the chapter anyway on who our little Canadian's partner is, anyway._

___I also think from now on, I'll do these little challenge with clues at the end; what do you guys think? _

_The next chapter is more anime inspired, and the Battle Tag Royale will only last one chapter as well. The chapter after that one will be the group reaching the destination: Caesura Town, which houses the next gym leader. :)_

_Thoughts and opinions? Have a nice day. :DDD_

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


	21. Battle Tag Royale: Like Team Spirit!

_I deeply apologize for the lack of an update. TTnTT hopefully this chapter makes up for it - it took me so long to write it due to my exams approaching, and work tiring me. Plus, this chapter is based on that one part with tag battles in the Diamond and Pearl anime (but don't worry, no abuse like how Paul did with poor little Chimchar)._

_Anyway, BIG thanks goes **TomatoAmante **for the for the follow; **Naskara-Dragoon **for the fave; and to **MiyukiMarvell**, **cherrygemini**, **BloodRoseNinja, ****Pinkithai**, **yvonna **and **VisaVita **for the fave AND the follow. :D also, a BIG thanks goes to **Ayumi Kudou**, **AliasAlliance**, **Jayvee1669**, **FusososoLaugh**, **Pinkithai **(again), **Riverclan23 **and **Light Trainer **for the reviews! 8D_

**_Ayumi Kudou:_**_ Wow, you're pretty sharp. 0.0 I didn't think anyone would notice Picardy in there...XD yes, I agree - if you have a sharp wit and common sense, than you can pretty much achieve anything in my opinion. :) that's true, too - Erika is like a fusion of both Liechtenstein and Nyo!Japan. XD_

**_AliasAlliance: _**_Sorry 'bout the late update. ;w; but, haha - yeah, thanks to Sealand, now I can't look at sailors without thinking of the little guy. XD hehe, Lovino loves his siestas, but he'll be there to watch and root on Matthew. :) well, that's to be expected after all - Switzy _is _her big brother. :D I'm glad you like the idea of the little challenges I put - I quite like hearing people's guesses. :D you don't have to do them if you don't want to, it's just a fun way of interaction in my opinion. =^_^= _

**_Jayvee1669:_**_ You'll see. ;)_

**_FusososoLaugh:_**_ Cool. :) ooh, I like green tea. 8D haha, actually...Lithuania/Toris will make an appearance quite soon (not in this chapter, though). ;) just keep on reading, and you'll see~ ;D_

**_Pinkithai:_**_ Hello there, Ms Pinkithai! I am HetaWriter/HetaReader, but you may just call me Heta-tan, Heta-kun, or simply just Heta for short. ^_^' thank you so much! That compliment is definitely not to be taken lightly since it concerns the King of Awesomeness himself. 8D thank you, really, I try to update all my stories, but I usually have only time to focus on one, so it took me a long time until I could get around to this one as well as trying to juggle my work and studying...TT_TT don't worry; your words have made me quite warm. :) (Gary Motherf***ing Oak! D8)_

**_Riverclan23:_**_ Indeed, it is. ^7^ I couldn't help but put in that part - far too tempting since Switzerland apparently trains her and she's his little sister after all. :) thank you very much - you'll see in this chapter about your guesses. ;)_

**_Light Trainer:_**_ Well, it took me a while to write it out, but here it is! :D oh, really? You're Dutch and live in Canada? 8D nice! I'm aware of the Tulip Festival and that Canada helped the Netherlands, but thanks for placing more detail into that part of history! :D_

_Well, I notice what happened with the guesses:  
__**Michelin: **3 got it right.  
**Erika: **3 got it right.  
**Matthew: **7 (everyone) got it right. XD  
_

_The answers will be revealed in the chapter~ ;D  
_

_**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Hetalia or Pokemon.  
_

_"In salted herring, it's a bedrijf Parade!"_

* * *

"The name's Michelin," the Seychellois girl beamed at her partner with a wave. "What's your name?"

"I am Ramesh," he said with a charming smile; his pearly whites a beautiful contrast to his darker skin and warm amber eyes. He swept the fedora atop his head, revealing finely combed raven hair, as well as a _tilaka _on his forehead. He gave a gentlemanly bow in her direction, "It is nice to meet you." She noticed that he also spoke with a rather thick Indian accent.

"Nice to meet you, too," Michelin said, feeling her cheeks glow upon having a rather pleasant and charming man as her partner.

"We shall do our best in this Battle Tag Royale," Ramesh said with a smile. "Correct?"

"Oh, yeah!" Michelin nodded, her smile somewhat lopsided as she felt suddenly shy in her partner's presence. "_Definitely_."

"Very good," nodded Ramesh, looking very satisfied with her answer.

"My gosh, I can't wait to start!" spoke up Michelin, the blaze in her brown eyes burning brightly.

"Indeed," agreed her Indian partner. "This is an exciting experience, don't you agree?"

"Yeah!"

_****__**Pokétalia**_ Maple Version: Fly High!

"Erika, huh?" the man smiled as he jerked a thumb at his chest. "The name's Jack! Nice to meet ya, sheila!"

Erika nodded, giving a weak smile in her wild, upbeat partner's direction; she really hoped that she could catch up with him. There was a big chance that she could easily slow him down; since he was more buoyant and rough than she was.

He had thick eyebrows and glowing green eyes. His dark brown hair had two ahoge, and there was a bandage across his nose. He was wearing what appeared to be some sort of uniform with a dark green necktie. Coupled with that big, bright smile spread across his face; he looked really friendly enough. "Can't wait for this shebang to happen! Exciting, ain't it, sheila?" he asked, grin still on his face.

Erika nodded, though she was still slightly confused as to why he was insistently calling her _'sheila'_; she already told him her name after all. "Um…excuse me, but my name is Erika, not Sheila…" she began.

Jack blinked, slightly perplexed himself, but he immediately laughed afterwards, "Hahaha! No, no; where I come from, _'sheila's_ just a term used to talk about a little lady such as yourself!" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he chuckled, "Sorry if I caused a little misunderstanding there!"

The Liechtenstein girl shook her head, feeling her pale cheeks light up, "Oh, no, no…I should be the one apologizing…"

"Well, let's not worry about that!" Jack smiled. He sighed as he looked at the big screen, "Can't wait for this thing to begin! 'Ow 'bout you, sheila?"

Erika nodded, the smile gracing back onto her features, "I can't wait for them to start, either."

_****__**Pokétalia**_ Maple Version: Fly High!

"The name's Lars by the way," the tall man said in his gruff-like tone as he extended his arm out. "Yours?"

"O-oh! Matthew," the Canadian boy said as he quickly shot his own arm out and shook hands with him. He was quite intrigued with how large and wide the man's hand was.

"Got a specific type you use?" Lars questioned as he placed a hand in a little white bag that hung around his waist. "Just so I know if I can use anything to counteract anything that'll be strong against it?"

Matthew shook his head, "No, I don't have a certain type. How about you?"

Lars responded with a shake of his own head, "Nope. I just use the Pokémon I like." Next, to Matthew's surprise, the tall blonde pulled out a rather stylish pipe from a white pouch. He inspected it a few times, but maintained a hold on it. Matthew noticed that Lars had a bit of an accent on him, however he just couldn't place _what _it was. Much like how Antonio from Feral Town had a familiar accent, yet he couldn't place what it was, either.

The Canadian boy felt slightly awkward here – he really had no idea what to say at this point; he was never that much of a conversationalist. And this man, with the spiky hair, the scarf and the pipe, he would probably be someone he would never be able to talk to back at Tatserr Town.

He just seemed so…cool.

"There a problem, kid?" Lars asked, noticing the silence hanging around in the air and how awkward his partner was.

"H-huh? Oh! No, no there's no problem…" Matthew answered back, rubbing the back of his head.

"Look, kid – I know we've never spoken or seen each other before, but listen; tag battles are about teamwork," he said calmly. "Even if you hate your partner's guts, you have to suck it up and at least _try_. However, since I don't know you and you don't know me, we're at an advantage – we can get to know each other from this with a fresh start. Okay?"

Matthew had held onto his words closely. "You have a point," the bespectacled blonde nodded. "I understand. You must be experienced in tag battles…"

"I've only done it a fair few times," Lars shrugged. "With this old friend of mine; a pain in my ass he was, but well…he was a brilliant partner – things certainly weren't boring with him around. Now, before anything is announced, you got any questions for me?"

Matthew shuffled nervously on the spot, not sure if he should really ask, "Um…"

"Yeah?" Lars' pale green eyes were fixated on his younger companion. "Ask me anything so we can clear shit up. I'll ask you stuff, too. Where are you from, anyway?"

"I'm from Tatserr Town," said Matthew.

Lars arched an eyebrow, face stretched to a surprised expression, "That's quite a long way away from Sahil City…you travelling on your own?"

"No, actually," Matthew shook his head. "I'm travelling with a friend."

"A fellow trainer?"

"Um, no…"

"Ah…" Lars arched an eyebrow. "Just a companion, then? Or is he a breeder or a co-ordinator?"

"Neither, actually…" Matthew responded. "More like…a researcher."

"I see," Lars nodded, looking slightly interested as he twirled his pipe expertly between his fingers. "If he's the same age as you, then that's an impressive feat. If not, then it's still pretty interesting; not many people are interested in that work field. Now, come on – ask me that question that's been bugging you. What is it, Matthew?"

"Well…" Matthew sighed, feeling _slightly _intimidated from the tall man's gaze. He also felt _really _small here. "I was wondering…what exactly are you?"

Lars blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Ack! I'm sorry!" Matthew flushed as he shook his head. "No! What I meant is; what nationality are you?"

Lars arched both eyebrows, however a look of understanding crossed his previously confused expression. He gave a snort, but it was plain to see that he was amused, "I definitely wouldn't mind a question like that. Well, I'm Dutch. I also came from Ocamor City."

Here, Matthew's interest was piqued – he remembered Feliciano had mentioned something to Lovino about their grandfather being in Ocamor City. Did that mean that there was the chance that the Canadian's Dutch partner could know who Lovino was? And if he did, would he get pissed off and try to attack him?

Honestly, Matthew didn't want to fight him – Lars looked like a much more experienced trainer for one thing, and the thought of possibly battling him to defend the Italian was downright _frightening_.

Before he could say anything else, though, the screen overhead immediately lit up, gaining everyone's attention.

Looking forward, there was a woman with short, curly ginger hair and blue eyes with a beauty mark at the right side of her face. She was wearing a white and blue visor, a pink armband, a blue tank-top, and shorts as well as boots of matching colour. She waved to the large audience watching.

"_Bella_," breathed Lovino as he watched intrigued from his spot.

"It's battle time!" shouted the woman as she pumped her fist high in the air. Thunderous applause immediately erupted all around the battle room as all the trainers who were taking part of the grand ship's event were now paying attention. "Get ready for some action!" she continued as she raised her other fist.

Lars gave a small smirk at all the cheering and enthusiasm that was around them. He crossed his arms over his chest, "Heh. Sounds just like the Pokémon League."

Matthew looked up at his partner with widened eyes, "The Pokémon League?"

The Dutchman nodded, "Yup…that place…it was just loud in general. My ears almost popped out…"

The Canadian boy was about to ask him what it was like at the Pokémon League and what he was there; considering that only the strongest of trainers or people with enough money for tickets could actually get in, when he caught sight of Michelin who was with her partner – a young dashing Indian man.

The Seychellois girl caught sight of her friend after exchanging some excited chatter with her partner, and immediately waved at him, beaming warmly. Her partner turned his head around curiously, and with a smile himself, gave Matthew a nod of respect. The Canadian boy flushed a little bit, but nodded back as he awkwardly waved back at the pair. Lars arched an eyebrow as he looked around to see what his partner was looking at, and simply stared at their younger opponents.

Michelin was rather intimidated by Matthew's partner – for one thing, he was _really _tall; a towering figure with the Canadian boy reaching up to his chest. Another thing, the man had _really _darkened pale green eyes that were glowering intensely with a rather cold flame.

Just staring at those orbs…an unpleasant chill suddenly ran down her spine.

"Welcome trainers to the Battle Tag Royale!" called the woman, with both hands raised up in the air. "I know you're going to have a fine time! I should know – I'm the MC, Lilian!" after her announcement, and was met by more uproarious cheering and catcalling from the observing passengers. "Now, a tag battle, as you can all see, involves two trainers with two Pokémon – however, we've added the twist this year that from a random selection, you'll be partnered with a new trainer! A test of trust and unity between trainers and Pokémon alike! And to possibly even make new bonds! Yes! Bringing everything all together is what this event is all about! And so, let's see who's battling with who!"

She suddenly slammed her fist down on a big, red button, and immediately, the screen projected blocks with numbers – showing the match-ups.

"Looks like things are in order," Lilian the MC nodded as she gave a thumbs-up. "Now remember! In a tag battle, success lies in teamwork, _and _the union of the spirit between the trainers _and _their Pokémon! To learn to truly rely on each other, and so, to the team that emerges victorious, we will be rewarding an item that will sure to deepen the connection even more…" suddenly she took out two shimmering bells that were tied with green ribbons – the chiming sound they made was soft, soothing and overall pleasant and calming to the ears. Everyone _'oohed' _and _'aahed'_ in relaxed sighs upon hearing the tinkling. "The beautiful Soothe Bell; a bell that produces a sound so lovely, that it brings both peace and joy to everyone who hears it. And this bell will be the award to our fine tag battle royale winners!"

"Damn…" Lovino gave a whistle from his seat as he adjusted his sunglasses. "That's actually a pretty good prize.

"Now, in every battle that will take place; trainers are _only _allowed to use one Pokémon per match," continued Lilian. "No time limit, and no substitutions. Whichever team is unable to battle is eliminated then with the results – tomorrow at the same time of seven in the evening, the winners will be matched up against each other – then finally, on the second last day of the cruise – on day three – the battles will hold out for the remaining tag-teams until only _one _is left and crowned the winner!" she then made a motion to the cell on the screen. "Today, our first battle will be in the C-block! So, it's time for battle!"

"Looks like it's us first," Ramesh noted as he swept his fedora back onto his head. Sure enough, when Michelin looked up at the screen again – their number was flashing in the C-block panel with another one matched alongside it.

The Seychellois girl nodded as she took out her Poké ball and called, "Okay! Go! Buizel!" and with a strong toss of her arm, once the white light subsided, the Sea Weasel immediately popped out, looking excited and ready for battle.

Then suddenly, much to Michelin's surprise, Ramesh stood rather rigidly straight, and then he moved his body around in a spin-like motion – making some gestures with his hands; her Indian partner looked like he was in the middle of some sort of dance. As she watched him in shocked amazement, Ramesh then swept off his fedora again as he spun once more and this time, took a Poké ball out from his suit quite gracefully. "Appear! Milotic!" he called as he threw it out.

Once the white light disappeared, the beautiful Tender Pokémon gave a soft cry as it landed quite heavily to the ground, coiling itself making a sweeping motion with its head; matching its trainer's dance. However, despite the loud noise it caused from its landing, it didn't detract at all from its beauty as it raised its head, looking calmly at its opponents.

"Interesting," Lars rubbed his chin. "Those things are hard to get."

Matthew flipped out his Pokédex to take a look at Milotic's data, "_**Milotic, the Tender Pokémon," **_said the Pokédex's mechanical vice. _**"And the evolved form of Feebas. It is said that a glimpse of Milotic and its beauty will calm any hostile emotions you are feeling. Its lovely scales are described as rainbow-coloured and change colour depending on the viewing angle."**_

"So pretty…" breathed Michelin.

Ramesh simply laughed, "I'm glad you think so! Now, listen, you attack," he said now softly with a secretive smile at his partner. "Do not worry about the defence – you can just leave that to me, okay?" and with that, he winked after saying so. "I have the perfect battle formula made for this, as well."

Michelin arched her eyebrow, "Battle formula?" that made her think of maths, a subject she wasn't so happy about. "Yeah, right…"

"Scyther, use Razor Wind!" commanded the lass.

"Weezing, you use Sludge Bomb!" shouted her motorcyclist partner.

The opposing Pokémon commenced with their commands while Michelin, her face determined, called, "Buizel, use Water Pulse!"

"Buii!" Buizel placed its paws together and formed a blue ball – then throwing it at the ground, turning it into a huge wave of water, and smashing it straight into the Razor Wind heading their way, causing a great explosion to occur due to the collision.

Satisfaction to say, the onlookers were very eager already at the spectacle.

However, the Sludge Bomb continued flying straight at Buizel and Milotic. Understandably, Buizel looked extremely panicked and was cowering a bit, when Ramesh chose that time to take action.

"Okay, now! Milotic, use Safeguard!" the Indian man called.

"Milo…" the Tender Pokémon's whole body began to glow a dazzling pale green and suddenly, a force-field of the same colour shimmered and formed around them; the blow of Sludge Bomb was still strong, however, there was far less damage than anticipated.

Buizel looked up in wonder at its partner, "Bui…? Bui…"

Milotic simply bowed its head at the Sea Weasel Pokémon, giving a fond smile itself, "Milot…"

"Safeguard," breathed Lovino. "Any move with status rendering effects will take less damage and the effects are nulled. Damn…" the Italian was rubbing his chin. "This flashy bastard knows his shit…"

"Weezing, use Thunderbolt!" the motorcyclist shouted, to which the gaseous Poison Pokémon followed.

"Dodge it, Buizel!" shouted Michelin, only for Ramesh to take charge again.

"Milotic, Protect!" he called in a calm and collected voice as his brown eyes sparkled playfully.

Before Buizel could move, Milotic brought the Sea Weasel Pokémon gently closer to its grand form with its long tail. At once, its fan-shaped, scaled tail was raised, producing a pale green force field to appear surrounding the two Water Pokémon. The Thunderbolt struck the force field instead, so the two Pokémon inside it were unscathed.

"Ahhh…" Michelin stared in awe.

Ramesh gave a chuckle as he swept his fedora back atop his head, "I told you not to worry. You can now do whatever you want, because I will cover you no matter what."

"Got it," grinned Michelin.

"Scyther, X-Scissor!" shouted the lass. "Go!"

"Scyther!" Scyther's large, blade-like forearms were glowing white as it flew straight at the pair, ready to charge.

However, Michelin was taking charge herself, "Buizel, use Aqua Jet!"

"Bui, bui!" the Sea Weasel Pokémon instantly surrounded itself with a great jet stream of water as it then shot forward like a bullet, colliding head-on with Scyther. However, its force and power was greater, so the Mantis Pokémon was knocked back after uttering a loud, pained cry as it slammed straight into one of the transparent walls that surrounded the grounds so no attacks would fly wildly.

"Scy…ther…" the Mantis Pokémon said, seeing stars.

"So, Scyther is unable to battle," concluded the referee.

The lass gave a squeak as the motorcyclist shouted, "Weezing! Hurry up and use Gyro Ball!"

The Poison-type Pokémon then spun into a rapid ball as a glowing purple light was immediately gathering – heading straight for Buizel and Milotic.

"Milotic, use Hyper Beam!" shouted Ramesh, eyes now blazing; fiercely determined.

His Tender Pokémon raised back its head as it opened its mouth where a glowing orange orb was forming, and suddenly, with a great burst of light – it shot forward and smashed straight into Weezing; the force was so strong, that the Poison-type Pokémon actually stopped from spinning and once subsided, crashed to the ground right next to its fallen partner.

"Weezing is unable to battle, too," the referee announced. "The victory goes to Buizel and Milotic!"

"And look at that, folks!" called Lilian as she beamed at the winners. "The first battle of C-block has now been decided!"

"That was rather nice, wasn't it?" Ramesh asked, giving a small smile at seeing how impressed the Seychellois girl was. "Well, that's how I am – I prefer defence; what do you think?"

"That was perfect!" Michelin called ecstatically. "Our attacks matched perfectly!"

Suddenly, to Ramesh's astonishment, the Seychellois girl immediately grabbed hold of his hands and spoke up excitedly, "You _have _to tell me more and teach me about this battle formula of yours!"

Much to Matthew's surprise, Michelin's Indian partner was flushing furiously at the forward gesture; his smile a little crooked. Lars snickered as he inspected his pipe, "Seems that guy's one of those defensive ones – that girl's sure got an interesting type of partner, that's for sure."

"With a strategy like that, they'll be tough to beat," noted Matthew, both impressed yet nervous.

Lars gave a dark chuckle, "Don't worry 'bout that – there's always a way to get out of a sticky situation."

Three more matches in, and Erika soon found that it was her turn with her wilder, older partner. The Liechtenstein girl was rather nervous since she had never taken part into something like this before (fighting alongside another trainer), however, Jack was quite kind and optimistic. So of course, she felt much better with him beside her as her tag battle partner.

However, when the battle played on, she began to feel the pressure.

She had sent out her Beautifly while Jack told his Marill to sit out this one at the side, and unleashed a Breloom. The opponents, who were a youngster and a camper, let loose a Yanma and a Shelgon, respectively.

And right now, Beautifly and Yanma were going into a very evenly matched fight in the air as they continuously rammed at each other.

"It's Beautifly and Breloom against Yanma and Shelgon!" called Lilian as Erika's Beautifly and the youngster's Yanma charged and rammed at each other again, giving squeaks as they did so.

"Beautifly, use Acrobatics!" shouted Erika. The Butterfly Pokémon obeyed and began flying in more complicated patterns higher up to the ceiling to get more space.

"Yanma, use Steel Wing!" yelled the youngster. Yanma's wings immediately glowed silver-white as it flew higher and higher – easily catching up to Beautifly in quick, steady succession.

"I think Yanma's gonna catch up with that speed!" Jack spoke up.

Erika's green eyes widened when the Australian man's words were true – Beautifly was struck harshly by Yanma's Steel Wing, and after giving an agonized cry, began plummeting down. However, the camper called, "Zen Headbutt, Shelgon!" and his Pokémon immediately began running forward, intent on striking Beautifly.

"Oh no!" Erika gasped, but she shook her head and called. "Beautifly, quick! Straight up!"

"There's no time!" Jack now shouted as he pointed; his eyes blazing furious flames. "Now, Breloom, use Brick Break!"

"Bre…!" the Mushroom Pokémon brought back one of its claws, making it glow white, then with great speed, rushed forward and slammed it straight into Shelgon, knocking it backwards. "Loom!" throughout that, Beautifly was able to pick itself up from smashing into the ground, becoming airborne again.

"Whoa!" the camper's eyes widened. "What power…"

"What are you doing?!" the youngster demanded his partner. "Yanma was doing so well!"

"Oh, yeah?" the camper challenged. "Why don't you think of doing a counterattack, then?"

Matthew sighed from where he was watching – with Lars, Michelin and Ramesh with him, "This is no time or place for those two to fight…"

Lars snorted, looking highly amused, "This has got to be the _worst _tag battle of all time…"

"True blue…" Jack flashed a thumbs-up at Erika. "Why don't we do this together and win this shebang, sheila?"

Erika nodded, "You're right; let's do it, then!" she turned her attention back onto her Pokémon, calling, "Beautifly, use Silver Wind!"

"Beauti…" the Butterfly Pokémon began rapidly flapping its wings as a great gale of sparkling winds blew harshly onto Yanma and Shelgon who appeared to be suffering.

"It looks like that Silver Wind has caused some serious damage!" announced Lilian excitedly; the audience sharing her interest.

"Now, Shelgon, use Dragonbreath!" yelled the camper, to which his Pokémon obeyed; a great breath of gold and dark violet appearing.

"Here it goes, Breloom mate, use Drain Punch!" shouted Jack as he did a punch forward himself.

"Bre…" the Mushroom Pokémon's claw was reared back and glowing gold, when suddenly, it leapt forward and punched straight through the Dragonbreath – immediately meeting its mark.

"Using that Silver Wind as a beautiful opening," said Lilian. "Breloom's Drain Punch is causing a _massive _amount of damage!"

"Acrobatics!" called Erika to Beautifly.

The Butterfly Pokémon immediately did the complicated loops and turns as it flew faster and faster, eventually slamming straight into Yanma, who took a heap of damage since Acrobatics was a Flying type move.

"Shelgon and Yanma are unable to battle," the referee announced after taking a close look at the two fallen Pokémon. He raised the flag in direction to Erika and Jack, "The winners are Beautifly and Breloom."

"We won," Erika breathed, her hands clasped together

"Beautifly~" the Butterfly Pokémon cooed in agreement as it settled upon Breloom's head. The Mushroom Pokémon gave what appeared to be a light-hearted chuckled as it raised its claw up happily, "Breloom!"

"Yeah," Jack beamed as he flashed a thumbs-up again at Erika. "Good job out there, sheila."

Erika shook her head as she bowed her head at him, hands now clasped at her front, "No, I should be thanking _you_. I'm so impressed by the brilliant call you made, and how sensational you were with your Breloom."

The Australian man blinked at all the fancy words; he understood them perfectly, but he was amazed at seeing a girl at Erika's age using them, "Yeah?"

"Alright!" Michelin pumped her fist. "Now Erika's won, too!"

"It'll be our turn really soon," Matthew glanced up at his partner, who was casually fiddling with his stylish pipe.

And soon enough, it was.

Matthew was feeling the knots in his stomach churn and twist as he stood next to his taller partner, swallowing the lump in his throat. The Canadian boy could see that Lars seemed more interested with his pipe than the opponents, who were a rich boy and a scientist, before them right at that very moment, and had one hand into the white pouch he had at his hip.

"And now here was have our final battle for the night!" announced Lilian. "I'm positive that in this case, last is _certainly _not least!"

"Okay…" Matthew licked his lips as he began to contemplate on who to choose. After a second or two, he took one of his Poké balls and immediately threw it out. "Yeah! Go, Monferno!"

"Ferno!" the Playful Pokémon chattered, looking absolutely pumped for the battle and because it was chosen.

The scientist and the rich boy both sent out their own Pokémon after yelling their names, which were revealed to be a Rhydon and a Magmar, respectively.

Lars cocked his head, still looking rather uninterested, though his pale green eyes had a little flame ignited in them. "Not bad…" the Dutchman said as he then lit his pipe. Next, he placed it in his mouth, eyes gently shut as he took out a Poké ball from the white pouch. His eyes then shot open again as he reared back his arm and tossed the Poké ball out. "Sceptile, you're up!"

Once the white light dissipated, the Forest Pokémon gave a loud war-cry, "Sceptile!" and landed agilely onto the ground. It then took out a stick and placed it in its own mouth, to which, Matthew couldn't help but feel, seemed akin to its trainer.

"Magmar, use Lava Plume!" the rich boy shouted.

At once, Magmar unleashed the attack – causing a vast amount of flames and smoke to emanate the battleground, even striking at Rhydon.

"Whoa, what's going on?!" called Michelin, brown eyes widening. "Rhydon just got hit, too!"

"Lava Plume," Ramesh breathed. "Fire-type technique that hits _everyone _who is participating in the battle. But, consider also that Fire-type moves will not have a big effect on Rhydon at all…a brilliant strategy in my opinion."

Lars however didn't look worried at all, much to the nervousness of the Canadian boy. Instead, the Dutchman took out his pipe as he called, "Sceptile, go!"

"Scep!" the Forest Pokémon suddenly leapt and shot on through, going into the Lava Plume.

"Huh? Sceptile?" the rich boy's eyes widened while his scientist partner's jaw dropped open in shock. "But with the flames this strong, it won't stand a chance!"

"Don't be afraid to go through it yourself," Lars told Matthew calmly. "You may need to take risks in the battles you take. Also, remember; your Monferno is partially Fire-type; it should be able to withstand the flames. In fact, the flames can even boost its power, I believe."

"Really?" Matthew's violet eyes widened at the Dutchman's words. Seeing him nod, the Canadian boy nodded and licked his lips, deciding to give it a shot, "Okay, then…Monferno; follow Sceptile!"

"Fer?" Monferno looked at its trainer, a little worried, but seeing Matthew nod, the Playful Pokémon swallowed its unease and immediately leapt into the Lava Plume, too, eventually catching up to Sceptile. And at once, the fire that blazed on its tail was burning higher and brilliantly.

"Go on," urged Lars.

"Monferno, use Flame Wheel!" shouted Matthew.

At once, Monferno complied, spinning into a rapid ball of flames. However, the fire it produced glowed and burned both strongly and brilliantly.

"Whoa, look at that!" Jack marvelled.

"I see," Ramesh nodded. "They're having Monferno use Magmar's Lava Plume to boost the power of Monferno's own Fire-type attacks."

Monferno then burst through the Lava Plume and struck at Rhydon who raised its arms to protect itself. It knocked Rhydon back, however, it didn't seem to be that much affected by the Flame Wheel. The Playful Pokémon landed on the ground from the force on its feet as it growled, looking irritated.

"Hammer Arm, go!" shouted the scientist to Rhydon.

Rhydon gave a growl as it reared back its arm, causing it to glow brilliantly and brought it forward to strike at Monferno when a command suddenly shouted right next to the Canadian boy.

"Grab Monferno and use Earthquake!"

"Tile!" Sceptile suddenly shot out of the Lava Plume in astonishing speed and took hold of Monferno, much to the Playful Pokémon's (and everyone else's) shock. The Forest Pokémon gave a great leap, effectively dodging Rhydon's Hammer Arm, and after spinning in the air, it landed straight into the ground with one of its green claws glowing brilliantly, at once causing a great tremor to resound throughout the battlefield.

The rich boy and the scientist were giving yelps as they almost fell over from the massive force that was done by Lars' Sceptile, and even Matthew himself was almost about to fall over. However, the Canadian boy turned to look at his partner and saw that Lars was standing his ground.

"Nice assist!" cheered Jack.

Erika nodded, "Indeed it was."

The Earthquake was able to knock off both Rhydon and Magmar back; appearing to have taken quite a considerable amount of damage as well. The scientist grit his teeth, "Heads up! I knew that guy was dangerous just by looking at him! We gotta be careful of him and his Sceptile!"

"Right!" the rich boy nodded in agreement as he shouted. "Magmar, Protect!"

"Rhydon, use Surf!" called the scientist. "Go!"

Magmar immediately produced a light green force field to surround itself as a massive tidal wave formed with Rhydon surfing on it, heading straight for both Sceptile and Monferno, to who the Forest Pokémon placed down.

"Watch out!" screamed Lovino from his spot. "It's coming straight for the both of you bastards! Fuck! A Rhydon that know freaking _Surf_?!"

Matthew was understandably scared here – that wave was going to ram straight at his Monferno and Lars' Sceptile. Lars' Sceptile was a Grass-type, so it would be no problem for it to withstand the Water-type technique, but Monferno on the other hand…

Lars could easily sense the fear in his partner, and he didn't like that. The Dutchman spoke up, "Hey…" when Matthew turned to face him, Lars gave him a very, _very _small smile as he jerked a thumb at his chest. "Just follow my lead…okay?"

Matthew blinked, but nodded; he knew that he had to place his trust in his partner, and so, that was what he would do. Tag battles were about trust between _both _trainers and Pokémon, and so, the Canadian boy took upon it as well. "Yeah, okay," he said as he nodded again. "I will."

Lars' smile expanded only slightly, and he murmured, "That's what I'd like to hear…" his face then morphed into a serious expression again as he shouted, "Sceptile, leap up and use Leaf Blade to punch down!" he then turned quickly to Matthew, "Use your fists!"

"O-okay, then!" Matthew then commanded. "Monferno, you use Mach Punch and follow Sceptile!"

Sceptile simply gave a smirk at its smaller and younger companion as it leapt up with its leaves glowing a brilliant green and forming a scythe-like shape while both of Monferno's fists were glowing light blue and followed suit. Suddenly, Sceptile rushed forward and slashed right at the waves, causing a gigantic rift in the middle, and effectively, causing the Surf to disperse, thus shocking Rhydon.

Monferno then caught on quickly as it rushed forward and began striking and punching Rhydon determinedly with a series of Mach Punches, eventually causing it to crash to the ground unceremoniously on its back, effectively knocking it out.

"What a move!" marvelled Lilian. "Sceptile and Monferno's brilliant teamwork has knocked Rhydon out cold!"

"No! Rhydon!" the scientist wailed while his rich boy partner was stunned, "What an attack…"

"Rhydon's unable to battle," announced the referee after close observation.

"Time to go nuts," Lars said with a dark chuckle. "Sceptile, use Leaf Blade once again!"

"Scep!" the Forest Pokémon rushed forward in a great burst of speed while Matthew called, "Monferno, use Dig!" which, caused the Playful Pokémon to leap up and make a quick hole underground.

"Magmar, use Fire Punch!" yelled the rich boy.

Magmar rushed forward; its fist engulfed into flames as it slammed against Sceptile's Leaf Blade. Both Pokémon were gritting their teeth as they stood firmly on their ground, determined not to lose.

"Both are evenly matched!" remarked Lilian.

Suddenly, Monferno popped up from underground and slammed its fist right into Magmar's chin, giving an uppercut, and thus, knocking Magmar back and right next to its partner, knocking it out.

"Magmar is unable to battle," announced the referee upon closer inspection, and causing him to raise his flag hand. "Sceptile and Monferno are the winners!"

"What a match!" called Lilian. "That means that the final tag team to make it to tomorrow's rounds will be the team of Matthew and Lars."

Matthew heaved a sigh of relief as his heart slowed from its rapid beating in his chest. This caused the Dutchman to look down at him, pale green eyes toning down with worry as he asked, "You alright there, kid?"

The Canadian boy nodded, "Yeah…but wow; that was some battle, huh?" seeing Lars shrug one shoulder, Matthew added, "You really know what you're doing – you're a really great trainer!"

Lars snorted, but a light red dusted at his pale cheekbones at the compliment, "I'm a trainer…but not good enough yet…"

"Not good enough?" echoed Matthew in confusion; really, if it weren't for the Dutchman, Matthew would be pounded in, and Monferno would've been hurt _really _badly. What did Lars even mean? Remembering that the Dutchman had mentioned something about the Pokémon League, the Canadian boy was more convinced that maybe, just maybe…Lars had competed himself before.

"Besides, it's a tag battle – we _need _to work together. Well, just rest up and we'll get another shot tomorrow," Lars said as he patted Matthew's shoulder. "Your Pokémon earned the rest. See you tomorrow, Matthew."

Matthew could only watch the Dutchman return his Pokémon and walk away with the pipe now smoking billowing, white-grey clouds.

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

The next day, Matthew and Lovino were going around the boat again – this time, inspecting the shops and stalls to see if there was anything interesting. Throughout this time, they were both discussing amongst each other about the Battle Tag Royale, the Shadow Pokémon escapade, and their new friends they met.

It was during the afternoon at around lunch time, the trainers all decided to meet up with their distinctive partners.

Michelin was going to meet up with Ramesh in the ballroom and Erika was going to meet up with Jack at the water park while Matthew was going to meet Lars at the ship's interior garden.

Lovino tagged along with Matthew, and the both of them saw that Lars was sitting on a bench; his face stretched down to a relaxed expression and his pipe in his mouth, which exuded some soft, grey-white billows of smoke. His Lopunny sitting by his side, also looking quite content. Suddenly, Lopunny's ears twitched upon hearing the Canadian boy and the Italian approaching and blinked at the sight of them coming.

"Punny?" Lopunny nudged its trainer, to which, Lars cracked an eye open and turn his head to face the pair. "Good you made it on time," the Dutchman rumbled.

Matthew nodded, "So…we're gonna start training?"

Lars stood from his place with his Lopunny following suit. The Dutchman turned to face Matthew and took his pipe out from his mouth. "Yeah, we are," he then pointed to what appeared to be a green blur that was running and dashing at great speeds. "Who you thinking of using for this night's match?"

Matthew gave a shrug, "Honestly, I'm not sure…"

Lars himself gave a chuckle that rumbled in his throat, "Fair enough; just train all of them at the same time."

"What _is _that?" Matthew asked, pointing at the green blur that kept dashing around. He released all of his Pokémon, and they all stared in wonder at the fast figure. That is, everyone except Pikachu, who just stared blankly.

"You know who it is."

Suddenly, the green blur stopped right near them, revealing it to be Lars' Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon had its stick still poking out from its mouth, and it stood upright from its previous position on all-fours. Monferno immediately brightened upon the sight of it and waved enthusiastically, "Ferno! Monferno!"

"Tile…" Sceptile gave a little smirk as it nodded its head. Then it leaned down and chirped some more, "Sceptile. Scep, scep, tile, Sceptile."

"Foo?" Mienfoo looked slightly confused, but Monferno pumped a fist, looking absolutely determined, "Monferno! Ferno! Mon!"

Sceptile seemed amused with the Playful Pokémon's response, and with that, it gave a little challenging motion as if to say _'bring it on'_, and suddenly, burst in a great amount of speed away. At once, Monferno chattered excitedly as it burst forward, too – running after Sceptile. Pidgeotto looked rather taken aback as did Kumajirou. Mienfoo gave a little sigh as it shook its head, but it ran after the pair. Following suit, Pidgeotto took flight, flying after them all with Kumajirou running on all fours, also pursuing.

Pikachu stayed in its spot, watching indifferently at the scene before it.

"What are they doing-?" wondered Matthew, to be answered when Monferno caught up with Sceptile.

"Monferno!" the Playful Pokémon's fists glowed light blue for a Mach Punch, and immediately lashed out at Sceptile.

Matthew was shocked, and was about to command for his Pokémon to stop, when Lars placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hold on…let's see what happens first."

Looking back, Sceptile didn't see fazed at all – on the contrary, it gave a smirk as it easily back-stepped and dodged all of Monferno's oncoming Mach Punches with great speed and agility. Next, the four leaves on Sceptile's wrists glowed light green as it formed into two – signalling that a Leaf Blade was coming into place. It immediately swung at Monferno…

…only to collide with Mienfoo's glowing white paws from Brick Break.

"Foo!" Mienfoo's face was pulled down to a focused and firm expression as it tried pushing its much smaller form against the larger Grass-type Pokémon.

"Tile…" Sceptile's golden eyes glittered in interest as they then narrowed and darted off to the side in time to see Kumajirou unleash an Ice Beam straight at it. Sceptile leapt up only for the Ice Beam to hit Monferno square in the chest.

"Ouch…" Lars arched an eyebrow while Matthew flinched at the blunder.

Monferno however shook it off and waved a dismissive paw at Kumajirou and Mienfoo, then ran after Sceptile again, this time, chasing the Forest Pokémon up a tree.

"Looks like they're training by themselves already," Lars noted. "Same old Sceptile…"

"Same old?" inquired Matthew.

Lars nodded, "He's pretty independent when it comes to training; always has, always will. Go on, try and command your Pokémon to try and hit him."

Matthew stared at the Dutchman, about to ask why he himself wasn't going to place commands onto his Sceptile, when he saw the Forest Pokémon suddenly slam his Leaf Blade right at Monferno, but since the Playful Pokémon dodged, it hit Pidgeotto instead, causing it to screech as it tumbled backwards a bit. The Canadian boy instantly took charge and called onto all of his Pokémon – determined to at least lay _one _hit on the Sceptile.

Sceptile turned its head, looking far more pumped at seeing its opponents' trainer come into play, and looked at his master. Lars simply gave a nod of encouragement. Sceptile looked nodded back in response, looking quite satisfied at the liberation.

"Lopunny! Lop!" Lars' Lopunny called, looking a little worried.

"Tile, Scep," the Forest Pokémon reassured its Rabbit comrade as it simply made a _'come at me'_ gesture at Matthew and his Pokémon, and fled further into the interior garden, causing Matthew and his Pokémon to go after him in hot pursuit.

Leaving Lars, Lovino and Lopunny.

The Italian narrowed his eyes behind his pair of sunglasses at the Dutchman standing beside him. "I thought you were already back at Ocamor City, pipe bastard…" he grumbled.

Lars simply snorted, "I _was _at Ocamor City. But, yeah…things are just too hectic for my taste." Seeing Lovino's expression tighten, the Dutchman huffed some smoke as he questioned, "Is it true? Emma told me that you apparently stole something from your old man's old man; don't really care if you did, but did you?"

Lovino snorted in response as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Yeah? And so what if I did?"

Instead of getting a scolding, the smoking Dutchman reared back his head and let out a dry, dark laugh, "Hah! Why does that not surprise me? You were always good at pick-pocketing – yeah, I saw you steal the idiot's poffins at times when he wasn't looking when you were a kid. But, really?"

"Wasn't that hard," Lovino murmured, his shoulders relaxing at the casual conversation between himself and an old friend. "_Nonno's _password takes no shit to solve, and really, his aides should've paid more attention to the thing rather than sit on their asses all day and talk about pompous shit on other crap…"

"Hmph, fair enough," Lars gave a half-hearted shrug as he took another inhale from his pipe. "But, what interests me is that you're here…and you seem to know my tag partner pretty well, too. How exactly _did _that happen?"

"Shit happens," replied Lovino. "I just randomly bumped into _Matteo_, and now I am travelling with him. There a problem with me knowing him?"

"No," responded Lars evenly. "Just kinda random. But, hey – didn't you say you wanted to travel around the region before? Well, I guess this chance was handed to you with travelling with that kid."

"After a shit load of crap happened…" grumbled Lovino. "You said you already went home at Ocamor, right? Well…how is everyone? Are they doing fine?"

"Emma's fine," said Lars tonelessly. "She's worried for both you and Antonio – that guy's stressing around looking desperately for you, you know?"

"I know," Lovino heaved a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temples. "_Matteo _and I saw him at Feral Town talking to Arthur…a lot of major shit happened there, so _Matteo _and I had to sort stuff out."

"Arthur needing help?" the Dutchman arched his eyebrow in surprise. "Well…that's a first…"

"His Buneary was in a load of trouble."

"Ahhh…"

"And what about you, anyway?" Lovino arched an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to stay with that other bastard – the one that everyone says looks like you? Did you get ditched by him?"

Here, Lars' eye twitched as he looked visibly annoyed, "_How_ the hell does he even look like me? Who said that? They need their eyes checked…well, he's busy with his own crap; he has work to do, now, and well…at first, he said that he wouldn't like it, but I knew – he ended up loving with what he was doing. Makes him feel on top of the world from his great height."

Lovino snorted, "I only heard stuff about the Frontier. Don't really know much else about it, except you have to be a badass trainer to get into participation from it."

"Indeed," murmured Lars darkly. "And even to this day, nobody's been known to beat the king yet. After the previous one got dethroned years ago…" he then shrugged and placed a hand on Lovino's shoulder. "But, no doubt; I have the burning feeling that your partner will someday reach that limit – and you'll be there to support him."

"Much like you and your bastard friend?" asked Lovino quietly.

Lars gave a small, dry chuckle, "You could say that. Well, whatever's been going on with you; honestly, I don't give a damn – that's your business, and you and I know perfectly that if the idiot finds you, he'll just drag you back home. That certainly isn't good for a guy your age – you need to experience the world yourself without someone coddling you; besides, travelling is a nice experience with someone by you, too." Heaving another billow of smoke, the Dutchman concluded, "And…something tells me you have some sort of unfinished business with Matthew – the both of you…"

"You can say that again," sighed Lovino exasperatedly, deflating a bit. "Shade shit…"

"Shade?" Lars arched an eyebrow. "Getting yourself involve with them? The both of you?" seeing the Italian nod, the Dutchman arched his other eyebrow as well. "Well, I'll be, then…"

"That's pretty much how _Matteo _and I first met," said Lovino. "I got involved with some shit with Shade, and _Matteo _just decided to help out. Ever since, I've been travelling along with him. I never expected to end up with him…"

"Having fun?"

Lovino's face was tainted with a cherry red as he snorted, "You're kidding me, right?"

However, it was quite obvious to see that he was lying through his teeth, and seemed quite fond of travelling around with the Canadian boy. Lars simply arched an eyebrow as he looked to and from the Italian and his partner. They were an odd combination to say the least, but it appeared to work perfectly fine; especially with Matthew having the patience of a saint to put up with someone as ill-tempered and moody as Lovino. "You know that one day, you'll have to come to Ocamor," spoke up Lars. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know that, pipe bastard," grunted Lovino. "But that's still far away. So, until then…"

"It's better to tell him everything before that event so he could be more in tune with what the hell's going on around you," said Lars.

"He knows about what I've done," said Lovino tonelessly. "That I stole one of my _nonno's _inventions."

"How about you yourself?"

"…"

Eventually, Matthew and the Pokémon came back, but it was quite clear to see that there was a great workout in finally landing a hit on Lars' Sceptile, who was also panting, but looked immensely satisfied. Matthew's own Pokémon all looked completely frazzled from the experience. After that, Lars then took charge on his own Pokémon and began training more properly with his younger tag battle partner. Matthew only gained a little amount of rest before he was training hard with his older partner.

And throughout the whole thing, Lovino couldn't help but see how much Matthew was growing.

'_Damn…' _he thought to himself. _'He said he was a starting trainer, right? Fuck…that means he's only sixteen or something like that, and he's already _this _strong? Chigi…wait, when the hell _is _his birthday, anyway?!'_

He decided he would ask the Canadian boy when they got back to their cabin for a little rest before reaching the Battle Tag Royale again for the night. However, after bidding Lars goodbye and returning to their cabin, before Lovino could ask, he froze upon the Canadian boy's statement.

"I know about you and Lars – you both know each other."

Lovino stopped and stared across at his Canadian partner. The Italian blinked and shuffled a little in his spot before questioning, "How the hell did you know?!"

"I overheard you guys," responded Matthew calmly. "You were talking about a lot of things about home in Ocamor City. I didn't understand a lot of things that you both said, but what I _do _understand is that you both know each other pretty well. So…" the Canadian boy planted himself on the couch. "How _do _you and Lars know each other? And for how long have you known each other? If you don't mind me asking; you don't have to tell me everything, but just answer those questions." The Canadian boy knew that Lovino would still feel awkward and not unready to speak about his full life yet, and Matthew didn't want to pressure his partner and upset him.

'_Fuck you, Lars…'_ Lovino thought to himself as he placed himself on the edge of the bed. "Pipe bastard? I knew him for…a pretty long time, actually. We lived under the same roof, he was just that guy that was always there, but other than him being tall and stinking the place with his smoke, I never had a problem with him, actually…he was…_kinda _like a friend…"

"He seems to think of you as one," Matthew gave a soft smile. "I think he cares about you, too."

Lovino snorted, "He may look tall and intimidating and shit, he's actually soft – he has a fondness of tulips and rabbits. But…" the Italian rubbed his head. "He definitely knows a thing or two about battling…" Lovino then settled his amber eyes right onto Matthew, "There, that's it – anything else?" however, the look in his expression, Matthew knew meant, _'There better not…'_

To which, Matthew simply nodded and said, "Yeah, that's all, really. For now, at least." He reminded himself that when Lovino _felt _ready, he would finally open more. He then looked out to see that the sky was already becoming dark and rubbed his stomach after hearing it rumble slightly, giving a sheepish chuckle, "Well, maple…I'm getting hungry. How about we get some pasta for dinner tonight, Lovino?"

Lovino simply shrugged, "Cheh…whatever…" however, he was inwardly grateful that Matthew patient; the Italian really liked that trait of his, and honestly…sometimes, he felt that maybe he was exasperating or tiring his Canadian partner. However, just from their interactions, it seemed that Matthew didn't have a problem with him at all and they made nice conversations together, too.

'_Friend, huh?'_ a small tug reached the corner of his lips as his eyes settled upon the Canadian boy. Seeing him smile made him want to smile, too.

And honestly, he didn't know why.

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

"And now we've reached our final battle for the night!" announced Lilian as she raised a fist, causing a loud uproarious cheer to erupt throughout the place.

Matthew saw before him that his and Lars' opponents were a psychic and the one trainer that was continuously harassing Lars and who Erika beat at the shooting gallery. The trainer was smirking as he glared across from his end of the battlefield. Lars himself looked immensely uninterested.

The psychic sent out a Metagross while the trainer shouted, "Hah! Now it's time for me to crush you! Are you ready to lose?!"

Lars gave a yawn, "Sorry, kid – you say something?"

The trainer's face instantly reddened in rage as he shouted, "You-! How _dare _you! Go! Seviper!"

"Seviper!" the Fang Snake Pokémon hissed, baring its long, deadly, crimson fangs at the opposing side. Its red eyes glaring right at them.

"Why don't you send out your girly Lopunny and let's do it!" the trainer challenged obnoxiously.

Matthew was about to stand up for Lars by saying that the Dutchman didn't have to follow what he said, but Lovino beat him to it, screaming from his spot, "He doesn't have to listen to your bullshit demands, you little piece of shit!" The Canadian boy could see that there was a mother who was covering her child's ear right next to the Italian.

Lars however simply snorted and took out a Poké ball from his white pouch. "Go, Lopunny!" and with that, he tossed the ball out, released the Rabbit Pokémon.

"Punny! Lop!" Lars' Lopunny exclaimed as it landed quite daintily on the battlefield.

"She's all ready," the Dutchman said calmly. "And I am, too."

"And me!" spoke up Matthew as he threw his Poké ball out into the field. "Go, Mienfoo!"

"Foo!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon jabbed its paws out as it appeared determined to battle, too.

"Hah! You guys are going down!" declared the rude trainer. His older psychic partner simply rolled his eyes as he called, "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!"

"Meta…!" the Iron Leg Pokémon's massive, metallic arms glowed dangerously red, and began spinning on its side.

"Mienfoo, use Swift!" shouted Matthew.

"Foo!" the Martial Arts Pokémon reared back its head and unleashed star-shaped rays of energy right at the opponents.

However, the rude trainer called, "Poison Fang, Seviper!"

"Sevi…!" Seviper immediately coiled forward over Metagross, its jaws open and ready to settle its now glowing violet fangs onto little Mienfoo.

"What cooperation between Seviper and Metagross!" commented Lilian at the scene playing before everyone. Lovino gritted his teeth as he watched in anticipation along with Michelin, Erika, Ramesh and Jack.

"Lopunny, use Blizzard!" called Lars as he took hold of his pipe.

"Lopunny, lop!" the Rabbit Pokémon opened her mouth and unleashed the great Ice-type attack on the two opponents. However, Seviper simply bit at the ice and dissipated the Blizzard. And, as a result, Metagross was able to come forward with its Bullet Punch and strike Mienfoo, causing it to shriek and fall back.

"Mienfoo, are you alright?!" asked Matthew in alarm. However, at seeing the little Martial Arts Pokémon easily leap back up, the Canadian boy sighed in relief, "Good…now use Brick Break on Metagross!"

"Mien…foo!" the Martial Arts Pokémon's paws glowed white as it dashed straight at the Fang Snake Pokémon.

"Magnet Rise!" called the psychic. At once, the Iron Leg Pokémon's whole body was surrounded by a light, golden aura and it raised itself up and away from Mienfoo's Brick Break.

"Seviper, use Dragon Tail!" shouted the rude trainer.

"Seviper!" the Fang Snake Pokémon's tail glowed light blue and swung it forward, slamming straight into Mienfoo, causing it to shriek in pain again, and knocking it backwards on the battlefield.

"X-Scissor!" the trainer shouted, grinning madly. "Knock that nuisance away!"

"Lopunny, use Fire Punch!" shouted Lars, now looking furious. Matthew felt a shiver run down his spine at how darkened those pale green eyes had become and the creases that formed onto Lars' face due to his scowl.

Lopunny also looked irritated herself, her paw was clenched into a fist that was engulfed into flames as she brought it forward, colliding straight into Seviper's X-Scissor. The trainer and his psychic partner both looked really shocked at the sudden attack and that the Rabbit Pokémon even had such a move in her arsenal.

"What a shocker!" remarked Lilian. "Lopunny was able to stop Seviper dead its tracks with a dazzling Fire Punch!"

"Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" commanded the psychic, taking charge.

"Mienfoo, Brick Break on Metagross!" shouted Matthew. "Hurry!"

"Foo!" Mienfoo quickly ran forward and applied the move onto Metagross, who gave a loud yell as it was knocked backwards, landing on all four of its gigantic limbs.

"And Mienfoo chooses to counterstrike Metagross before it could come any closer!" called Lilian.

"So intense…" breathed Erika. "It looks so evenly matched out there. I didn't now that Lopunny can learn Fire Punch."

"Definitely not impossible," said Lovino, causing Michelin, Erika, Ramesh and Jack to look up at him. "Lopunny can learn moves that are pretty unusual if it's the offspring of certain breeding combinations. Maybe Lars' Lopunny was a Buneary offspring to a Lopunny mother and a different Pokémon father. Also…Lopunny can learn the punches from tutoring if a Move Tutor is capable of doing that…"

"Wow…" whistled Jack. "That Lars certainly is a beaut at battling…bottling, his blood's worth…"

"Seviper, use Wrap!" shouted the trainer, looking greatly frustrated now. The Fang Snake obeyed and immediately coiled around Mienfoo, squeezing it hard, causing Mienfoo to squeak, and for Matthew's comrades to gasp in shock. Lovino grit his teeth angrily at the sight.

"Get in there, Lopunny – use Attract on Seviper!" shouted Lars.

"Lopunny~" the Rabbit Pokémon then gave a wink and spun gracefully around once with her paws outstretched then reached to her mouth and blew a kiss – releasing multiple pink hearts with pink sparkles around them, floating straight at Seviper who still had Mienfoo in its Wrap.

"Get out of there, Seviper!" shrieked the trainer, to which the Fang Snake Pokémon obeyed, so the Attract ended up hitting Mienfoo.

Lars blanched, "Crap! That wasn't supposed to happen…"

However, when the pink hearts contacted with Mienfoo, much to everyone's surprise, the little Martial Arts Pokémon simply got back up again from landing and brushed itself off from the dust.

"Oh, Attract had no effect?" questioned Ramesh, blinking.

"Is your Mienfoo a girl?" Lars inquired his partner.

Matthew was quiet, "Honestly…" he looked at Mienfoo, who looked expectedly at its trainer. "I really had no idea…"

Just from that sentence, Mienfoo looked absolutely affronted.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Matthew instantly apologized as he shook his hands hurriedly.

"Seviper, use Flamethrower on Lopunny!" screamed the trainer. "I am _not _losing to this guy!"

"Sevi…" the Fang Snake Pokémon reared back its head where flames were already gathering in its mouth, and unleashed a fully last as it brought its head back forward and opened its jaws even more. "Per!"

Mienfoo instantly stood before up straight and began withstanding the flames with her paws outstretched before it could land on the Rabbit Pokémon. The little Martial Arts Pokémon grit her teeth as she tried to stand her ground.

"In that case…" sighed the psychic as he stretched out his arm. "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!"

"Meta!" the Iron Leg Pokémon's arms glowed dangerously red as it began spinning, heading straight for Mienfoo.

"Lopunny, your chance! Use Fire Punch!" yelled Lars.

The Rabbit Pokémon's paws were clenched into tight fists as she rushed forward and slammed her blazing fists right onto Metagross, who gave a metallic roar of pain. Suddenly, the Iron Leg Pokémon was knocked back and smashed into the ground.

"Metagross!" the psychic gasped, eyes widening upon seeing his Pokémon knocked out.

"Metagross is unable to battle," announced the referee after closer inspection.

"What a relief…" Erika sighed as she placed a hand over her chest. "I was so scared for the both of them…"

"Indeed," agreed Ramesh. "Unbelievable…"

"Go for it, you guys!" called Michelin as she raised a fist, punching it in the air. Jack agreed with her, "Yeah! You blokes can do it!"

"Your turn, Mienfoo!" shouted Matthew. "No go for it!" the little Martial Arts Pokémon complied, running forward.

"Urgh! Seviper, you use Poison Fang!" yelled the trainer. The Fang Snake Pokémon instantly rushed forward with its fangs bared and glowing purple with poison.

"Dodge it!"

Mienfoo easily leapt out of the way and ran along Seviper's body in the process.

"What the hell?!" cried the trainer.

"Now use Rock Slide!" commanded Matthew.

"Foo!" Mienfoo's fists glowed white again as she raised both of them up. Multiple white rings of energy appeared above and around her, then next, several large boulders came out of the ripples of energy and rained down heavily upon Seviper.

"Sevi…!" the Fang Snake Pokémon hissed in pain as it was knocked forward.

"Finish it off with Brick Break now!" called Matthew.

"Mien…" the Martial Arts Pokémon's fists glowed white as she came forward and slammed down right under Seviper's chin, causing it to screech in pain and knock it back to its side of the battlefield, effectively knocking it out.

"Seviper is unable to battle," the referee announced after closely inspecting Seviper. He then raised his flag in direction to Matthew and Lars, "The winners are Mienfoo and Lopunny!"

"Maple! We did it!" exclaimed Matthew happily. Lars' shoulder relaxed as he gave an amused snort, "Heh…"

The trainer's eyes popped out of their sockets as he yelled, "No! No! How could that be?! How could I lose to _them_!" he then whipped around and glared at his psychic partner, "You! It's all _your _fault! Your Metagross couldn't even withstand a Lopunny?!"

The psychic glowered angrily, "You think it's _my _fault?! The blame goes onto us both for this loss!"

"No! Your Metagross was too weak to withstand even a measly hit from that stupid Lopunny!"

There was a loud whacking noise and everyone was shocked at the sight before them.

Lars had gotten over to the opponent's side of the field, and with his hand raised in the air and there being a red handprint on the trainer's face, it was plain to see to everyone around that he had slapped him.

"You shut your trap," said Lars sharply. "Your partner is perfectly right – it's _both _of your faults. Just because fault also goes onto you, doesn't mean you go and blame others for it, you little piece of crap."

"You son of a bitch!" snarled the trainer. "How _dare _you!"

"Enough!" Lilian chose to cut in, her hands on her hips. Upon her raised voice, the trainer immediately froze and stopped from his actions. "Mr Lars is perfectly right – in a tag battle, the blame of a loss goes onto _both _trainers, not just one. You have a lack of respect for your partner, and you should take a lesson in that course, first, before handling Pokémon of your very own. Now, get _out_ of the battlefield."

The trainer's face was bright red, but he chattered his teeth angrily as he threw a tantrum and left. Lovino snorted in his direction, "Good fucking riddance…"

Matthew sighed as he nodded, "I know…"

Lilian immediately plastered a smile back onto her face as she called to the audience again, "And now! Looks like we have our final eight tag teams coming on for tomorrow's showdowns! The ultimate winning tag team of the event will receive the prize of the Soothe Bell!"

"Little piece of crap," Lars snorted as Lopunny trudged to his side. He nodded at her, "Glad he's finally gotten karma to bite his ass."

"But it looks like we all made it," said Michelin happily. "Can't wait!"

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

"The final day of our Battle Tag Royale has been a blast!" called Lilian, to which the vast crowd agreed with enthusiastic, uproarious cheers. "And now, we've already moved on from one half of our semi-finals!"

The screen then showed Michelin waving enthusiastically with Buizel bouncing up and down happily while Ramesh had his arms crossed over his chest, looking quite pleased while his Lilligant folded her hands before her front and gave a polite bow.

"And the tag team of Michelin and Ramesh is moving on to our final round! Their combination looking sharper than ever!" said Lilian. "Now, let's bring out our second half to the semi-final's teams!" she then gestured to the battlefield. "It's the team of Jack and Erika against Matthew and Lars!"

"I know you and that bloke are friends, sheila," Jack said in acknowledgement, gesturing at Matthew. "But, don't hold back."

Erika smiled, and Jack was amused to see a little sparkle twinkle in her big, green eyes, "Of course not! My big _bruder _is a very renowned trainer himself – I _know _how tough one must be in order to win." She then turned to face Matthew and Lars as she concluded, "I'm not going to hold back on anybody."

Jack chortled merrily, "That's the spirit, sheila!"

"We've come too far _not _to give it our all," added Erika.

"Just think, Michelin," Ramesh said from his spot with the Seychellois girl and below Lovino's seating place. "We're going to face whoever wins this battle."

Michelin nodded, "It's either Matthew and Lars, or Erika and Jack."

"Looks like a free-for-all from here," Lovino remarked.

"Sceptile!" called Lars as he chucked his Poké ball to the battlefield. "Get ready to battle!"

"Pidgeotto, go!" shouted Matthew as he threw his own Poké ball forward.

"Feraligatr, you're up, mate!" yelled Jack as he pitched his Poké ball out to the field.

"Go Emolga!" spoke up Erika as she joined in.

Each of the four Pokémon came into view after the great amounts of white light disappeared, and Michelin squealed in delight when she caught sight of Erika's Emolga, "Aww, what a cutie!" she then took out her Pokédex to know more about it.

"_**Emolga, the Sky Squirrel Pokémon,**_" said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. "_**It glides on its outstretched membrane while shocking foes with the electricity stored in the pouches on its cheeks."**_

"Man, what an interesting assortment of Pokémon," muttered Lovino.

"Alright, let the battle begin!" announced Lilian.

"Don't worry," Matthew assured his Dutch partner. "I won't go easy on Erika. Pidgeotto, use Steel Wing on Feraligatr!"

"Pigeo!" the Bird Pokémon's wings began glowing silver as it began flying in an alarmingly quick speed right at the opponents.

"Feraligatr, quick!" shouted Jack. "Use Dynamic Punch"

"Gatr!" the Big Jaw Pokémon's fist began to get surrounded in an orange aura.

"Emolga, use Air Slash!" called Erika.

The Sky Squirrel Pokémon complied with its wings glowing light blue and waving them repeatedly – causing saw-like energy blades of the same colour to shoot out from its wings straight at Sceptile.

"Hyper Beam, now!" Lars commanded.

Sceptile opened its mouth to which there formed an orange ball of energy, and after charging in an alarmingly short amount of time, released and fired the ball straight into Emolga's Air Slash.

The two moves collided for a time, but Sceptile's Hyper Beam eventually smashed straight through Emolga's Air Slash and flew straight into the user. Emolga gave a sharp squeak of pain as the whole battlefield glowed in harsh white light, and enveloping everything in great clouds of smoke.

"Oh my!" Erika clapped her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Whoa!" Jack's eyes widened. "Crikey! What power!"

Lovino rubbed his chin from his spot, "Sceptile may have the type disadvantage against Emolga, but its Sp. Attack _really_ exceeds past Emolga's Sp. Defence and with Hyper Beam being a Normal Type…this could be a one-hit knockout on Erika and Jack's end…"

Once the smoke dissipated, the Indian man was proven correct.

Poor Emolga was lying in a heap, eyes spinning as it lay knocked out.

The referee nodded after seeing that the Sky Squirrel Pokémon gave a dazed moan from the experience, "Emolga is unable to battle!"

"No…oh, no!" Erika looked absolutely mortified.

"And Emolga is done in a flash!" announced Lilian. "Sceptile's power is just undeniable!"

Erika moaned sadly as she clasped her hands together and turned to Jack, looking ashamed, "I'm so sorry…"

The Australian man shook his head, flashing her a smile, "Hey, now, don't worry! I'd say…it's time! Feraligatr use Ice Punch on Sceptile!"

"Fera!" the Big Jaw Pokémon clenched its great claws into a fist, enveloping it with shards of cold ice as it ran forward towards Sceptile who looked rather tired and panting.

"But Sceptile isn't even moving!" said Michelin in alarm.

"After pulling off a freaking _Hyper Beam_?" Lovino shook his head. "I'm not surprised."

Ramesh nodded in agreement, "Indeed; from using such a move, the user has to rest one turn – which, means that it's the perfect time for Jack to strike."

"Pidgeotto, Steel Wing one more time!" shouted Matthew.

"Pidgeo! Geo!" the Bird Pokémon flew in quick speed straight towards Feraligatr who was still running towards the fatigued Sceptile, its wings glowing silver as it gained more and more speed.

"Feraligatr! Pidgeotto's right behind you!" yelled Jack.

All of a sudden, Feraligatr changed its course at the last moment – running right past Sceptile instead.

"Tile?" Sceptile's jaw dropped but it looked alarmed as did Pidgeotto when everyone realized that the Bird Pokémon would soon crash into the Forest Pokémon. So, as a result, Pidgeotto flew off course to prevent from striking its teammate by mistake.

However, Feraligatr used its Ice Punch fist to land on the ground and spin around in an alarmingly agile manner, leaping up high into the air right behind Sceptile.

"And Feraligatr is right on Sceptile's blind spot!" exclaimed Lilian as Feraligatr suddenly brought its Ice Punch down and slammed it right onto Sceptile's back, causing the Forest Pokémon to fall face first into the ground.

"Perfect hit!" remarked Erika.

"Use Ice Punch once more!" Jack shouted, looking extremely determined.

"Pidgeotto turn around-!" began Matthew, only to be stopped by the Dutchman. The Canadian boy gazed up at his partner in confusion.

Lars simply shook his head, "Don't worry – I can handle it."

Just as he said that, Sceptile's eyes immediately flew open and they were narrowed to dangerous slits as they looked from the corner of its eyes at Feraligatr. The Forest Pokémon then got up and swiftly dodged the Ice Punch with ease.

"Looks like Sceptile is moving again," noted Ramesh.

"Leaf Storm!" ordered Lars. "Now!"

"Sceptile!" the golden seeds on the Forest Pokémon's back glowed white and at once, it released a barrage of light green glowing leaves all around itself and Feraligatr, eventually knocking its target around and up with great force.

"Ack!" Jack yelped. "No!"

Feraligatr was blown back by the tremendous force and knocked to the ground and knocked out for the count having been weak to the powerful Grass-type attack and being struck at such a close range.

The referee surveyed the Big Jaw Pokémon, and after a little while, gave a conclusive nod as he announcer, "Feraligatr is unable to battle – Sceptile and Pidgeotto are the winners!"

"And that's the end of the second half of the semi-finals!" called Lilian. "Amazing! Feraligatr and Emolga just couldn't stand up to Sceptile's ferocious attacks!"

Jack simply sighed and returned his Pokémon, smiling fondly down at it, "Thank, old buddy…you tried your best out there."

"I'm sorry," Erika apologized again, bowing her head. "It's my fault…"

"What are you talking about, sheila?" Jack grinned warmly down at her. "You shouldn't be blaming yourself! S'all part of battling."

"Wow…" Matthew heaved a sigh as he looked nervously at Lars. _'I didn't even do much for this battle…'_

"You okay there, kid?" the Dutchman asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah…"

"Don't lie to me, kid – something's bugging you; I can tell."

Matthew sighed, "Well…it's just…I felt like I didn't do anything…that's all…"

Lars tilted his head, "Hmm? That it?" the Dutchman then rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes as he pondered. Well, throughout the whole mix of it, Lars felt the adrenaline pumping, and soon, he forgot that it was a tag battle – he just wanted to _crush _the living daylights out of the opponent and feel more thrill from the battle.

It definitely worked, but…

His tag partner was pretty disappointed.

Lars sighed, "Yeah…I guess you didn't, really…fine. No more of that from me, then. Don't worry; you'll get the next one."

"And now the final match is on its way!" announced Lilian. "And all of the action will start at midnight!"

Gazing up at the screen, it showed Ramesh and Michelin's panels against Lars and Matthew's ones.

And well, the final competitors stood on the battleground, ready for the final match as the clock was ticking closer and closer to it was almost midnight.

"Alright, folks! This is it!" exclaimed Lilian. "The final match of the Battle Tag Royale on this lovely cruise and very soon, for their winning performance, one of our most gifted tag battle teams will receive the magnificent Soothe Bells!" she raised up the two, beautiful silver bells up and they tinkled lightly in that calming, peaceful chime.

"Okay…well I'd like to finish this in one way," said Matthew firmly as he tossed his Poké ball forward. "Go, Kuma!"

When the white light disappeared, Kumajirou gazed lazily before him, rubbing at his eyes. Then, upon seeing all the people, the Cubchoo stood up and looked more ready. "Choo!"

"Ampharos, go!" Lars threw his Poké ball out as well, revealing the yellow Light Pokémon.

"Interesting combination over there," Ramesh said thoughtfully as he rubbed his chin, fedora perched on his head. He then made a little sweeping dance move before throwing his Poké ball out while he took his fedora off his head, "Go, Heracross!"

"Charmeleon, you go out there, too!" called Michelin, also throwing her Poké ball out.

Once the light disappeared, Michelin took out her Pokédex upon looking at Heracross. "_**Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon,**_" said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. "_**It loves sweet honey. To keep all the honey to itself, it hurls rivals away with its prized horn, no matter how heavy its opponent is.**_"

"You're both gonna be great!" said Michelin with a determined smile.

"No surprise about Michelin's Charmeleon," remarked Matthew. "And Ramesh's Heracross…"

"Don't worry about it," Lars said firmly. "I got your back as long as you got mine, okay?"

"Alright!" called Lilian as the clock's hand struck twelve on the clock. "Let the battle begin!"

"Okay, Kuma, use Ice Beam!" shouted Matthew.

"Choo! Cub…" the Chill Pokémon reared back its head and unleashed the great blast of ice, snow and frost.

"Ampharos, use Thunder!" commanded Lars. The Light Pokémon complied, immediately charging a great load of electricity.

"And both Cubchoo and Ampharos look like they can cause some _serious _trouble for their opponents!" announced Lilian as the attacks were coming closer and closer.

"Quick Charmeleon, use Fire Fang on Kuma!" shouted Michelin. "Go for it!'

"Char!" the Flame Pokémon's teeth immediately became engulfed in flames as it ran forward, withstanding the Ice Beam, and ramming straight into Kumajirou and biting the Cubchoo as well as knocking him back.

"Great work by Charmeleon!" remarked Lilian. "As Fire Fang stops Cubchoo in its tracks!"

Meanwhile, overhead, Ampharos unleashed the Thunder right down in Charmeleon's direction.

"Heracross, Revenge!" called Ramesh as he swept his fedora of his head.

"Hera!" the Single Horn Pokémon immediately flew in and took the hit for Charmeleon, its eyes squeezed shut. However, after getting struck by Thunder, its eyes darted back open and it flew straight at Ampharos, ramming straight into the Light Pokémon's chest with its horn.

"Revenge is sweet with a second strike!" stated Lilian. "Which means twice the power with one shot!"

"It's time to take the initiative," Ramesh said to his partner. "It's obvious that Lars is the more dangerous of the pair, no offense to your friend, so it is time we get rid of Ampharos first."

Michelin nodded as she ordered, "Charmeleon, use Fire Fang!"

The Flame Pokémon's fangs gained heat again as it dashed towards Ampharos, ready to strike.

"Protect!" shouted Lars, scowling deeply.

"Ampha…" the Light Pokémon instantly surrounded itself with a light green force-field to hold off the attack.

However, Matthew was scared at seeing the grin grow on Ramesh's face, "Perfect."

"Now, Charmeleon, jump!" ordered Michelin.

"What the-?!" Lars' jaw dropped.

The Flame Pokémon suddenly leapt up just as Ramesh called calmly, "Heracross, Feint!"

The Single Horn Pokémon suddenly flew at breakneck speed with its horn glowing white, straight at Ampharos who still had its Protect barrier up and running.

Matthew looked at his partner and was astonished at Lars looking shocked and horrified, "Heracross can use _Feint_?!" the Dutchman gaped.

"Protect's been smashed!" gasped Erika as Jack and Lovino simply stared in amazement as Ramesh's Heracross suddenly pick up Ampharos and tossing it straight into the air once the Protect force-field disappeared after the Feint attack.

"What a feat!" called Lilian after seeing Ampharos crash to the ground, giving a squeak of pain. "The team of Michelin and Ramesh makes a perfect combination!"

"Fuck…" Lovino breathed. "Feint is an effective attack when the opponent uses Protect or Detect. It can actually _cause _a shit load of damage against those defensive moves…pretty damn useful, but those bastards better stay on their toes, now!" He then murmured, "This is gonna be a tough one for pipe bastard; he's been known for using Protect a shit load in the past…"

"Flamethrower, now!" called Michelin, to which her Pokémon complied; setting out a massive burst of flames right at Ampharos.

"Pha!" the Light Pokémon squeaked, but immediately stood its ground.

"Kuma, quickly use Fury Swipes!" yelled Matthew.

"Choo!" the Chill Pokémon immediately launched forward and scratched multiple times at Charmeleon, before punching the Flame Pokémon with a fist filled with ice and frost. "Cubchoo!"

"Was that…?" Matthew began, only to be cut off by Lars.

"That was Ice Punch," the Dutchman said. "Great timing!"

"And Cubchoo just comes out of nowhere striking a little revenge for its own side onto Charmeleon!" remarked Lilian.

"Oh no, Charmeleon!" exclaimed Michelin.

"Counterattack!" Ramesh spoke up as he turned to his partner.

Michelin looked taken aback, but she nodded as she shouted, "Charmeleon! Quickly! Use Fire Fang!"

"Char!" the Flame Pokémon regained itself as it ran forward and settled its fangs onto Kumajirou again, causing the Cubchoo to get blown back after getting struck by the flames from the attack.

"Kuma! Are you alright?" asked Matthew in concern. Seeing his Cubchoo get up again, now looking irritated, the Canadian boy called, "Use Ice Beam on Heracross!"

"Flamethrower, quick!" yelled Michelin.

The Flamethrower and Ice Beam instantly collided harshly into each other, creating a little explosion as well as a great amount of steam to evaporate.

"Thunder Punch!" called Lars.

Ampharos complied, its paw glowing golden with electricity as it leapt high up into the air; ready to strike down on the opponents.

"Megahorn, Heracross!" ordered Ramesh.

Heracross' horn glowed white as it flew up straight at Ampharos, who brought its Thunder Punch down. The two attacks collided against one another into a deadlock.

"And it's Megahorn and Thunder Punch with evenly matched vicious power!" called Lilian as everyone watched in amazement and intrigue at the battle that was placed right before them. However, the force caused a little explosion, knocking back both Pokémon.

"Ampharos, use Thunder again!" shouted Lars, now looking determined.

The Light Pokémon, just as equally resolute, gritted its teeth as it charged this time, a more tremendous amount of electricity.

"Alright, I think that we should attack first," Ramesh suggested. "Just so that they don't get the upper-hand."

"Yeah," agreed Michelin.

Ramesh then called, "Heracross, use Megahorn on Ampharos!"

Following suit, Michelin shouted, "Charmeleon, use Flamethrower on Kuma!"

Both Pokémon complied to their orders – Heracross' horn glowed white as it flew forward while Charmeleon let loose a great burst of flames from its mouth.

"Dodge and use Ice Beam!" yelled Matthew.

"Choo!" Kumajirou leapt up in the air, and instead, unleashed the Ice Beam to hit its mark on Heracross, causing it to crash back to the ground.

"Unleash the Thunder!" shouted Lars.

"Ampha!" the Light Pokémon then instantly let loose the tremendous bolts of lightning straight at Charmeleon, who got struck harshly by the powerful attack, getting knocked back. Another little explosion happened upon Charmeleon's Flamethrower accidentally getting contact from Ampharos' Thunder, and they were both surrounded by immense clouds of smoke.

"That Thunder and Ice Beam moves blended together for an effective and new combination!" commented Lilian. "Now, will Charmeleon and Heracross counter?"

Once the smoke disappeared, it showed both Charmeleon and Heracross standing close by each other. Charmeleon actually had one of its arms around the Single Horn Pokémon's torso, as if to support it – Heracross appeared to be supporting its weight on the Flame Pokémon.

Lars grit his teeth as Matthew's violet eyes widened behind his glasses. Ramesh sighed in relief as Michelin exclaimed, "Oh, they're alright!"

However, as Ampharos and Kumajirou glared across at their opponents, Charmeleon simply gave a little smirk, "Char…" it said before its knee gave way, causing both Pokémon to collapse to the ground, both seeing stars.

"Oh no!" cried Ramesh.

"Charmeleon!" squealed Michelin.

"Heracross and Charmeleon have reached the end?!" gasped Lilian.

"Heracross and Charmeleon are unable to battle!" announced the referee from his spot after inspecting the Pokémon. He then raised his flag arm in Matthew and Lars' direction, "The winners are Cubchoo and Ampharos!"

From that, the whole hordes of bystanders immediately cheered and the top of their lungs, applauding greatly.

"And there you have it, folks!" called Lilian. "The winners of this year's Battle Tag Royale event goes to Matthew and Lars!"

"We won!" exclaimed Matthew, still looking quite shocked at what had just happened.

Lars smirked, "Yes, we did. We did it."

"Thanks, Charmeleon," Michelin said from her end to her injured Flame Pokémon.

Ramesh smiled warmly down at his Heracross, "You, too, my friend – you fought valiantly until the very, very end!"

Later on, Matthew and Lars were standing at the front on a greater stage with the Pokémon that participated with them throughout the whole challenge – Kumajirou, Monferno, Mienfoo and Pidgeotto for Matthew; and Sceptile, Lopunny and Ampharos for Lars.

"Indeed, there were a number of edges, but I think this year's event has brought something new and exciting in the both of you," beamed Lilian as she came forward. "So, I'm pleased to present you each with a Soothe Bell." She then held out a case where two Soothe Bells lay, shining beautifully under the light.

"T-thank you very much," Matthew said as he took one. Lars nodded and gave a grunt as he took the other.

"And let's all give a hand to the other Pokémon and their trainers who battled so hard during the competition!" added Lilian.

Matthew could only stare fondly at the Soothe Bell and shake it slightly with the tips of his fingers, letting it ring softly – its enchanting little chime resting upon his ears.

"Hey, Matthew."

The Canadian boy turned to face his Dutch partner to see that the man was towering over him. However, Matthew wasn't at all afraid of Lars' great height and serious face. The Dutchman then leaned down and whispered into the Canadian's ear before giving a small smile and leaving the stage to go back to his room to rest from the event.

Matthew could only watch him walk away.

_**Pokétalia Maple Version: Fly High!**_

The final day of the cruise, Matthew was eating lunch with Lovino, Michelin, Erika, Ramesh and Jack with their Pokémon all out and playing around with each other. Right at that moment, Feraligatr was laughing as Kumajirou, Monferno and Buizel were swinging on its massive arms. Milotic was smiling from its spot next to Feraligatr as the Pokémon who were playing on the Big Jaw Pokémon were sliding down its smooth, long body. Mienfoo, Breloom and Heracross appeared to be in some sort of meditation while Pidgeotto, Emolga and Beautifly were having some sort of a game of tag in the air.

Throughout the whole thing, Pikachu simply watched blankly as it sat at Matthew's side. Ramesh's Lilligant wasn't also playing, choosing to stay beside her trainer, but she noticed the empty look in Pikachu's eyes, worrying her slightly.

Michelin grinned as she tinkled the bell, causing Ramesh to sigh in wonder. "Nice work, Mattie!" the Seychellois girl exclaimed. "You really earned this one!"

Matthew gave a shy smile, "T-thanks, Michelin!"

"It's definitely not fun to lose," added Michelin. "But I'll get you in the next one!"

"This was quite a lovely event," Ramesh smiled. "A nice change of pace from last year's cruise."

"And what happened last year?" inquired Erika curiously.

"Well, I didn't join," admitted Ramesh sheepishly. "But it was some sort of scavenger hunt here on the boat – I just retired to my room with my Pokémon so we wouldn't get bothered by the hordes of people coming around finding things…it was very strange, though – some Pokémon came into the room…"

"Crikey, that _does _sound strange, mate," said Jack in surprise.

As they laughed at Ramesh's stories of last year's cruise, Matthew then saw a familiar figure buy a sandwich with a Lopunny by his side and a pipe sticking out from his mouth. The Canadian boy instantly spoke up, "Lars."

Everyone turned to see the Dutchman look up at them.

Lars simply gave a _very _small smile as the flame in his pale green eyes softened upon catching sight of the Canadian boy. He gave a nod with a slight wave of his hand as his Lopunny greeted them happily, "Lopunny! Lop!"

Once he gained his food, however, he left while humming to himself in a low tone.

"Your partner sure is one of a kind," remarked Michelin as she blinked.

"I know," spoke up Ramesh. "Such power and resolve…I haven't seen such strength like that before in a trainer! Mysterious one, too, isn't he?"

"Honestly…" Matthew admitted, a fond smile crossing his face at watching the Dutchman's retreating figure leave the restaurant, his Lopunny faithfully remaining by his hip. "I can't have done that without Lars – he was the one who carried us both through."

And he remembered the Dutchman's words from last night after they were both rewarded with their Soothe Bells.

"_**Never lose confidence in yourself, kid – you'll go far if you keep your head up. I'm positive you'll make it far. **_**Really **_**far."**_

'_Maybe we'll see each other again someday, Lars,' _Matthew thought to himself as he gazed at his Pokémon who were having a great time. _'And until then, I _will_ become strong; and one day, I'd like to have a battle with you…because one day, I'll hopefully reach your level someday.'_

* * *

_And this chapter is drawn to a close - the next chapter, Mattie and Lovi will be in Caesura Town where they run into a little bump in and meet three _very _important characters as well as learn about the Town's Gym Leader! 8D _

_Who will they meet?_

**_Clue (For the three people):  
_**_1. Has already been seen in a previous chapter already, but with a small speaking role before leaving._**_  
_**_2. Has feelings for 1, but doesn't realize how harshly 1 treats them.  
3. Cries a lot._

**_Clue (For the gym leader):  
_**_Largo, 6-4 time in B-flat minor._**_  
_**

_More gym battling business for our little Canadian before going back to serious Shade matters, however, there _is _an encounter of Shade in the next chapter with the three important characters. :) when will the next chapter come out? Honestly, I'm not too sure - I have to write the next chapter of my other major story, **A Tail For Two Legs**, and my exams are just peeking at me from around the corner...TTnTT curse you uni/college exams! *shakes fist*_

_But, like I said before - I _do not _give up._

_Well, anyway, thoughts and opinions? I hope you have a nice day, my dear readers. :DDD_

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


	22. Thug Zook & Artistic Child

_Hello, HetaWriter/HetaReader here; another chapter for you. :D and also...100 REVIEWS?! 8D my word...I really didn't expect this piece to reach that amount, but thank you all so much! *gives virtual cookies, maple syrup, tomatoes and a nation plushie of your choosing*_

_Anyway, BIG thanks goes to **Chimpchar** for the follow, and to **Ayumi Kudou**, **Pinkithai**, **TatlTails**, **AliasAlliance**, **Light Trainer **and **hetaliaforever123 **for the reviews! :DDD_

**_Ayumi Kudou: _**_Fair enough. Actually, I'm older than you are, but not so much - however, I _am _riddled with exams for my course, but there is one more left on Tuesday for me, so it may take a while for an update for anything to take place. :)__  
_

**_Pinkithai:_**_ Thank you. :) Lars is made to stand out because he'll appear pretty later on as well. Actually, India _is _cannon - just go on hetalia wiki and you'll see that India is confirmed. ;D no, don't be sorry - I don't mind rambling, as long as it doesn't bash, hate or flame any of the characters. Chibi!Canada + Chibimano are my inspirations. ^w^'_

**_TatlTails:_**_ Wait and see~ ;)_

**_AlliasAlliance:_**_ No, I _don't _give up easily - I gave up on one story, and I feel pretty awful for it, so I'm not going to try and give up with the others. Lars _will _appear again, but it's pretty later on, unfortunately...^_^' thank you very much for being faithful to this story! :D_

_**Light Trainer: **Ah, okay - I'm Chinese-Filipino myself and was born in Australia; my parents migrated here. :) well, just read on to find out if any of your guesses are correct. ;D  
_

**_hetaliaforever123: _**_I was wondering where you were! :D I thought you abandoned your story, honestly, but I'm glad to see you're still around! :) haha, just read and see if any of your guesses are correct.__  
_

_Well, guess statistics:  
**1st Person:** 3 correct.  
**2nd Person: **2 correct.  
**3rd Person: **1 correct.  
__**Gym Leader:** 4 correct._

_"IT'S ART! IT'S ART!"__  
_

* * *

Once the final day of the cruise came, Matthew and Lovino found that they were at their stop.

Caesura Town.

"I can't believe we're parting ways already," sighed Michelin. "But…I guess it can't be helped; Erika wants to go to Scrie Town after all…"

"Scrie Town?" questioned Matthew curiously, only for Lovino to pale. The Canadian boy was rather nervous at seeing his Italian partner blanche.

"Why the hell do you wanna go there?!" exclaimed Lovino. "Scrie Town's _filled _with Ghost Pokémon!"

"Well," Erika gave a sheepish smile, but became excited as she added, "I hear there's a tower called the Fantomă Tower. My big _bruder _told me many stories about it, but he told me not to go there when I wasn't a trainer…"

"Ah, I see," Ramesh nodded understandably. "And of course now, he cannot stop you since you _are _a trainer now."

"Great spirit you got there, sheila!" Jack grinned. "That's the ticket! Don't let a couple of Ghost Pokémon bring ya down!"

"G-ghosts," Michelin shuddered. "I don't _want _to ever encounter them…I hear so many scary stuff about them."

"Oh, but they're not all _that _bad, Michelin," Ramesh gave a little smile in amusement at the Seychellois girl's reaction. "They're very playful and mischievous, though – that I can tell you."

"Scrie Town is actually pretty close to Caesura," spoke up Lovino after looking at the map. "But, you'd have to cross the sea on either a Pokémon's back, on this cruise, or otherwise go over the mountains from Thrýlos Town, but that's _way _longer."

"Well, it looks like we're going separate ways once again," muttered Lovino. "Well…this is it, it seems…"

"Where are you going?" Matthew asked Ramesh and Jack.

Ramesh gave a little chuckle, "I'll be staying on the boat for _quite _a while before I reach my destination. I'm going to go and see an old friend of mine – I haven't seen him for a while, and well, we arranged a little meeting."

After Matthew and Lovino nodded at the Indian man's response, they turned their attention to the Australian one. Jack beamed as he jerked a thumb at himself, "I'll be heading for Thrýlos Town m' self actually! I wanna see the ruins and the temples there – heard that they're a real beaut!"

"That's so cool!" exclaimed Michelin. "So, I guess you'll be joining Erika and me?"

Jack laughed, "Looks like I will! There ain't a port in Thrýlos Town or Czarowny City, and Ocamor City's _way _further away since Thrýlos lies smack in the middle of Scrie and Lake Virtue, then I got no choice, really. But I'd be happy to accompany the both of you sheilas!"

Matthew couldn't help but smile as they all exchanged their farewells.

Once the S.S. Tidal continued on with its journey, he and Lovino were waving goodbye; their friends continuing on with the gesture.

It was rather saddening to depart with friends, however it was nice to have their P*DA numbers to keep in touch. Also, the Canadian boy was quite positive with the uncanny feeling that he'd meet up with them someday. Lars included.

And until then, once he beat his fourth gym leader, Matthew would get into training and at the same time, he and Lovino could go back to Shade business – since the only thing that was heard about the evil organization was just the typical stuff that was said during the news broadcast.

Coming into Caesura Town, Matthew and Lovino were both quite shocked; Caesura didn't even look like a town – it was very large and spacious with beautiful buildings that stood with a rather dignified elegance and pride. However, Matthew couldn't help but be curious about where Erika, Michelin and Jack were going off to. So, that was why he questioned Lovino more about it while they were walking on in Caesura Town. "Lovino," the Canadian boy said to the Italian while Nurse Joy was healing his Pokémon. "What exactly _is _Fantomă Tower?"

Lovino visibly shuddered, "Well, besides being a place for Ghost Pokémon to live at, it's a place where people pay their respects to their dead Pokémon."

"So…it's pretty much like a cemetery?" asked Matthew, violet eyes widening from behind his glasses.

"Pretty much…"

Matthew heaved a sigh, "My brother Al would _really _not like it, then. I wonder if he's ever been there before…"

"Your brother?" echoed Lovino arching an eyebrow. "Why? Is he some sort of wuss or something?"

"Well, when it comes to ghosts, he reacts _really _badly," replied Matthew. "He either screams like a girl; clutches the closest thing to him, which is mainly me most of the time; or just plain runs away…"

"Wow…" Lovino blinked. "Your _fratello_ sounds worse than Feli…"

"Have to hand it to Erika, though," remarked Matthew. "Ghost Pokémon look _kind _of scary and creepy, really…but they sound like interesting companions to have. I think she also said something about making some flutes there?"

"Well, Scrie Town is close to a volcano where the thing spews ashes," said Lovino. "There's a guy there from Romania that supposedly can make flutes of all kinds just by getting gathered ashes."

"How does he do that?"

"Hell would I know?" Lovino shrugged.

Matthew then smiled softly, "Maybe we should go to Scrie Town someday and try to make some ourselves."

The Italian stated, "As long as we don't get to Fantomă Tower, then I'm all for it." Seeing the look on his Canadian partner's face, Lovino quickly added, "Not because I'm scared or anything like that! What the hell are you looking at me like that for?! I'm _not _scared of a stupid tower, so quit staring at me like that! Chigi!"

Matthew couldn't help but give a soft chuckle, to which Lovino scowled at, and began marvelling around Caesura, "But Lovino, is Caesura really a town? It's so huge…it looks more like a city!"

Lovino gave an exasperated sigh, "Chigi…how are we going to find the gym then?" as Matthew opened his mouth, the Italian mumbled, "Never mind; I'll look for something…"

The Italian then hauled the Town Map out of the bag as Matthew absorbed the sights around the both of them in fascination while they continued walking on. Much like Bellonora City with beautiful sights and lovely aromas with a more Renaissance style, Caesura Town was quite like that place. Instead of pasta and pizza, Matthew could smell much sweeter aromas that tickled inside his nostrils.

They were both walking a bit more alongside the streets of Caesura, when Matthew didn't look where he was going as he was too engrossed in admiring the view.

He felt something crash right into him.

And that was when an array of paintbrushes, art utensils and a canvas were flying high in the air before crashing to the ground.

The Canadian boy looked down in shock while Lovino gazed up from the Town Map to see that the thing that had collided into Matthew was a little girl.

A little girl with violet eyes and _very _pale hair that was tied into two long braids. A mole was under her left eye, and she was wearing a white vest with a blue-striped dress shirt underneath. She was also sporting baggy, purple shorts, tan leggings, black boots, and a small bowtie. On the vest, there was what appeared to be an insignia that resembled a coat of arms of sorts. Right at the foot, there was a red beret that also bore the same insignia that was on her vest.

And right now, she looked quite dazed.

"O-oh! I'm sorry!" the Canadian boy immediately leaned down in concern. "Are you okay?"

The little girl blinked and shook her head a few times; her twin braids swinging about a bit. Then she stared up at Matthew and Lovino from her spot, blinking her big, bright violet eyes.

The stare was long, steady and unnervingly unblinking as the little girl slowly got up and began taking hold of a canvas and a piece of charcoal and began scribbling.

All that time, she was muttering inaudibly to herself…

Matthew and Lovino could only watch until the young one finished. She then stood up straight and flipped the canvas around, which revealed a lovely portrait of the pair of them done with thick strokes of the charcoal.

"Oh, that's very good!" Matthew smiled as Lovino nodded in approval, "Not bad, little girl."

"Little…girl?" the little one blinked. "Where?"

Both Matthew and Lovino stared down at the child in question, then when the child blinked back at them, repeating the question, realization sunk in for both boys.

"Chigi! You ain't a little girl!" shrieked Lovino, almost leaping back in shock.

The young one gave a little scowl as he shook his head, "Little girl…no." He then gave a little bow in Matthew's direction, "I apologize for bumping into you, sir…I was in a great rush…for art."

Matthew quickly gained his composure as he shook his head and waved a hand quickly and dismissively, "Oh no! Don't worry about it! It was my fault, anyway – we're kind of lost, you see," he explained. "We're trying to find the Caesura Town Gym, do you know where it is, err—"

"Leopold."

Matthew blinked, "Sorry?"

"My name," responded the pigtail-haired boy quietly. "I am Leopold Edelstein, and I know where the gym is; I should, anyway…the gym leader is my brother…"

"Brother?" Lovino arched both eyebrows in surprise. "Damn…how old _are _you kid? You don't look any older than that squirt Gym leader in Vice Town…"

"I am eleven," responded Leopold politely. But then his face went on a blank for a moment, before he proclaimed, "Age…it is art, too!"

Matthew and Lovino exchanged glances as the boy began speaking to himself; his bright purple eyes twinkling in delight as he began proclaiming about how age was art, or something among the lines. However, the strange boy said something about knowing where the gym of Caesura was, so that was what the important thing was.

Which was why Lovino barked, "Hey! Kid, kid! Kid, quit your art bull and tell us! Where the hell's the gym already?!"

Leopold stopped from his exclamations and blinked up at the older boys, "Oh…sorry."

"It's okay," Matthew spoke up quickly. "I'm sure your art is lovely, Leopold. But can you please also show us where the gym is?"

The pale-haired boy then nodded, feeling much better at hearing his art being complimented; so a little smile spread out on his face, "It's actually not that far away from here."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," replied Leopold. After Matthew and Lovino helped him gather up his canvasses and art utensils, the boy then rushed forward down the street, to which the two older boys complied quickly; not wanting him to get out of their sight and wind up getting lost in the huge town.

However there was no need, Leopold would wait for the both of them to catch up to him. The pale-haired boy then made a big sweeping motion with his arm, beckoning them to follow him more, "Come on, it's this way! My, what a rush…" he mumbled to himself from running forward. "This moment…rushing on by…heart racing fast…" he them beamed. _'Would this be art, too_? _It's certainly a great feeling!_'

However, during his train of thoughts, he crashed into something again.

Thus leading paintbrushes and his canvases to fly high up in the air once again, while Leopold landed on his read just from the force of the collision.

Matthew and Lovino looked in surprise to see their young and little guide on the ground with the object he crashed into towering over him.

The object being a huge bodybuilder wearing a red shirt and with his hair standing up.

"Leopold, are you okay?" inquired Matthew worriedly.

"Oh…" Leopold shook his head as he blinked up and squinted to focus on what he had bumped into this time. "Ow…oh, what happened?"

"This bastard bumped into you," said Lovino as he took a cautious step from behind his Canadian partner.

"Hey, now!" the bodybuilder called. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Leopold responded in a courteous manner as he gave a little bow while dusting himself off. "I didn't mean to bump into you."

However, much to Matthew and Lovino's collective horror, the bodybuilder was _completely _pissed off. He then gritted his teeth and glared down at the pale-haired boy with his nostrils flaring.

"And look what you've done!" the thug shouted angrily, causing some bystanders to stop and gawk. "You've messed up the happening of Zook, the coolest, baddest, most happening guy around!" He then stomped one of his large feet angrily on the ground. Understandably, poor Leopold looked genuinely frightened; even curling slightly inwardly as he flinched. "Gnnn! _Sorry _doesn't being to _cut_ it!"

"Hey! Leave the kid alone, you bastard!" snapped Lovino.

"Yeah," agreed Matthew, brows furrowing down to a scowl. "What did he even do? It was an accident."

"Huh?" Zook then looked up, his eyes catching sight of both Matthew and Lovino. Both older boys were reasonably nervous, too (the Italian more so), however, seeing Leopold gather his things and run to hide behind the both of them, made them swallow the fear and stand their ground – after all, they've both fought worse.

Keith was proof of that.

"You there, yeah, you two punks," shouted Zook. "You're with this midget, aren't you?" spotting the Poké balls on Matthew's belt, he gave a wicked grin, "And it looks to me like you're a trainer, too. You look like you'll be a _million _times more fun than some midget!" he then reached for Poké balls that were strapped to his own belt. "I'll stomp you flat with my Shadow Pokémon!"

That sentence rattled both Matthew and Lovino.

Matthew stammered, "D-did he just say-?!"

"Chigi!" screamed Lovino when sure enough, Zook chucked his Poké ball out and unleashed his Shadow Pokémon.

The Shadow Pokémon was revealed to be a fairly larger Pokémon (though _definitely _nowhere near to an average person's height), and it had fur that was mostly white in colour, but had deep red markings on the face, chest and forepaws, which also had sharp turns and edges. Two long, sharp black claws were also located on their forepaws unleashing it forward. It gave a snarl as it glared with its large pink eyes, somewhat rabbit-like ears were extended as its large, furry white tail waved about. When it opened its mouth to snarl, there were two sharp fangs located.

"Bastard's got a Zangoose!" yelped Lovino.

Matthew then took out his Pokédex for a better inspection of the Pokémon, "_**Zangoose, the Cat Ferret Pokémon**_. _**Zangoose usually walks on all fours, but stands on its hind legs when angry. It's very quick and can easily dodge most enemy attacks. Zangoose have battled against Seviper for many generations, and their sharp claws are their best weapons.**_"

"Careful, _Matteo_," the Italian whispered to his Canadian partner. "The bastard's right – this thing _is _a Shadow Pokémon, and it looks like it's a serious business…"

Matthew licked his lips as he nodded, whispering back, "I know…"

The blonde Canadian boy was about to engage in the battle, when a sharp voice cut into the scene.

"That is quite enough."

Everyone looked around in direction of the voice and Matthew and Lovino were both surprised to see a _very _familiar face.

Natalya, Professor Katyusha's younger sister, was standing there with her arms crossed over her bosom.

She was coming out of a café that served Austrian food with a young Lithuanian man with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes wearing green; and a Latvian boy that looked much younger with short, curly blonde hair and violet eyes, wearing what appeared to be a maroon uniform with brown epaulettes. The Latvian boy was nervously looking at the whole scene while Natalya was glaring at Zook with cold distaste.

"Pokémon are not meant to be used in such manner," stated Natalya frostily. "Choose your time and place."

Sadly, Zook didn't back down – not even to a young woman. He snarled with his focus now rooted on the three, "Shut it! Hey, meddling girl with the bow, take your preaching to someone who cares! Or do you want me to pound you, too?!"

Natalya simply sniffed distastefully, "Very well…"

"No," said the brunette Lithuanian. "Miss Natalya, allow me."

He then stepped forward in front of Natalya, to which the Belarusian girl glared angrily at being interrupted. Zook however guffawed at the sight of the gentle looking man, "Hah! And who do _you _think you are? So, now you're going to play the man to stop me? This gets better by the minute! Let's see you try!"

"Toris…" Natalya growled in annoyance.

However, the battle already started – Zook kept his Zangoose out, however mystery man Toris took out a Poké ball and threw it out, unleashing a rather beautiful fox-like quadruped Pokémon that was covered with a thick, luxurious golden-white fur and nine tails that were tipped with orange. A fluffy crest was also atop its head, and there was a similar ruff around its neck. It stared at its opponent with intense, ruby red eyes.

"Oh, how beautiful…" breathed Leopold. "Just like-"

"A piece of art?" finished Matthew jokingly. "Yeah, it is." He then took out his Pokédex to take a look.

"_**Ninetales, the Fox Pokémon,**_" said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. "_**Each of its nine tails are imbued with supernatural power, and it can live for a thousand years. Grabbing one if its many tails could result with an infliction of a one thousand year curse.**_"

"Zangoose, use Shadow Rush!" shouted Zook smugly as he pointed out.

"Zan!" the Cat Ferret Pokémon immediately waved its sharp claws around before it went on all fours and dashed straight at the Fox Pokémon while being covered with a shadowy aura. Ninetales was blown back from the force, but quickly regained its composure, landing quite agilely, though now baring its canine teeth.

"Ninetales, use Fire Blast!" called Toris, now looking determined.

"Nine!" the Fox Pokémon swung its head around, and finally opened its mouth, spitting flames from its mouth while its crimson eyes glowed dark blue instead and its whole body became surrounded with a fiery aura as its nine tails stood up menacingly.

"Goose! Zan!" the attack slammed straight into Zangoose, as it gave a loud screech of pain and was blown back. Once the fire dissipated, the Cat Ferret Pokémon was seen to be filled with black ash all over its body, and its jaw slightly open as it looked so knocked out.

Resulting in a win for mystery man Toris against thug Zook.

"Y-your power…" gaped Zook in shock. "Where does it come from?!" however, he shook his head and growled as he returned his Zangoose, "You've done it now! Don't think you're getting away with messing with the great Zook! Remember this!"

While he fled the scene, Natalya snorted while Toris looked quite content from the win. The Latvian boy, Raivis, looked much more relaxed from after the battle.

"Should I give chase?" Toris asked as he turned to face Natalya.

"No," responded Natalya brusquely. "That won't be necessary. He won't come back, leave him be. Well, that takes care of _that_. Though I could've beaten that piece of filth's sorry hide myself."

"I wanted to fight for you, Miss Natalya," responded Toris gently, his eyes shining in her direction. "Believe me, I _really _wanted to."

"Believe what you want, Toris," said the Belarusian woman snappily. She then began walking a different way, "Come now, let us be on our way."

The trio were preparing to leave – Natalya looking incredibly hard-faced and serious, Toris with a rather dreamy expression on his face while gazing at the Belarusian woman, and Raivis lowering his head while looking nervous again – Leopold opened his mouth a few times, however he appeared too struck and anxious to speak up.

"Wait!" Matthew called after them for Leopold.

The three stopped and turned to face him. Natalya arched an elegant eyebrow, but her dark eyes then had realization within them, "Wait…I remember you two; you were in my sister's laboratory once."

Matthew nodded, "Yes that was us…"

Leopold then bowed his head after giving a grateful glance in Matthew's direction, "T-thank you very much, ma'am…"

Natalya waved her hand dismissively, "That hardly deserves such gratitude. We did only what had to be done. Nothing more."

The three of them continued on their way, leaving Leopold quite awestruck as he breathed, "She's really pretty…she's a work of art…"

Lovino gave a whistle as he nodded, "Gotta admit…that was pretty badass."

"I hope I don't ever face that guy…" said Matthew. "At least not yet."

"That bastard with the Ninetales may be strong," admitted Lovino. "But I think after getting more badges, you can kick his ass no problem, _Matteo_."

Matthew smiled softly at the Italian's direction, "Thanks for having confidence in me, Lovino."

Lovino snorted as he turned his head away, however the scarlet hue on his cheekbones were undeniable, "Yeah, well…whatever, maple bastard…"

Hearing a little grumble, both older boys looked down at Leopold to see that the boy was now clutching at this stomach with a rather saddened expression. Seeing the café from where Natalya and her two companions exit from, Matthew and Lovino both decided to have some lunch first before continuing on towards the gym.

There, they tried some layered cake that was called _baumkuchen_, which Leopold also whispered to himself was art as he drew it on a sketchpad.

"Chigi," sighed Lovino. "This bastard…he's more of an art bastard then my _fratello_…I bet they'll get along pretty well if they ever met…"

Matthew was however more forlorn at the fact that they both missed in snagging a Pokemon - sure it was great that that thug Zook was beaten, but the Zangoose was gone...

"_Matteo_, if this is about the Zangoose, don't worry about it," grumbled Lovino as he drank a skim latte. "Something tells me we'll meet that bastard again someday..."

"I hope so for the sake of that Zangoose..."

After their lunch, they all continued along the way, this time Leopold was in their sight so as not to crash into anymore strangers who would fly off the handle just from a little incident with Zook.

"The lady with the bow in her hair is Natalya Arlovskaya," said one rich boy who had observed the scene before with Zook. "She's the younger sister to Professor Katysha; they're supposed to be _really _wealthy! The man with her was really strong, too! Wow, that was really cool!"

"I feel so privileged," sighed a beauty. "I got to see Natalya's bodyguard again today! That cute face! His lovely build!" she sighed again as she fanned herself. "Oh, I feel faint, he bedazzles me so!"

"Sure, there are many hotheads around these parts," said a battle girl. "But picking on a little girl was going too far! But the guy that ran off…I don't remember ever seeing him around here…"

Eventually, the pale-haired boy led both Matthew and Lovino over to a lovely mansion that was made of white alabaster with marble statues of the Ralts line: Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir and Gallade. The gardens were also consisted of edelweiss and a fountain was situated at the centre nearby.

There was also a sign nearby, to which Lovino read aloud.

"Caesura Town Pokémon Gym," read Lovino. "Leader: Roderich – the Elegant Master of Music and the Mind!" the Italian snorted. "Fucking modest."

"This place is really beautiful…" Matthew smiled.

"It is, isn't it?" Leopold smiled in the same soft way as well. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of this garden."

"Truly like art," responded Matthew.

Leopold nodded, "Yes…" he then motioned for the pair to follow him and knocked on the mansion's front door. However, when there was no response to the knocking, the pale-haired boy tried again. But when he still persisted in his knocking and there was still no answer, Leopold frowned a little, "It seems that Roderich isn't in at the moment…"

Lovino gave an exasperated sigh, "Knowing that piano bastard, he probably got lost in his own town."

Matthew stared at his Italian partner, "Are…are you serious?"

"Yes," responded Lovino. "I'm _very _fucking serious – that guy has the _worst _sense of direction ever! Don't ever rely on him when it comes to directions; even with a map, he's as good as fucking lost!"

"I think I know where he went," said Leopold after rubbing his chin with some thought. "Follow me…"

Again, the pale-haired boy led the Canadian boy and the Italian around the town, eventually coming to a grand building that looked very much like an operatic structure made from sleek, smooth, sand-coloured stone and with a huge musical note as a sign indicating its use. There were also beds of flowers that were planted around it with various differently coloured flowers adding a certain vivacity to the structure.

Leopold pointed at the building, "Roderich would probably be here. The Musical Theatre."

"Musical Theatre?" Matthew looked genuinely interested. "That sounds like fun."

"Would the piano bastard even be in here?" questioned Lovino. "I doubt it, but fine – let's get in there, anyway and look." His gaze then fell on two girls with curves in the right places as they giggled excitedly before entering the Musical Theatre, "_Sí_, let's _really _go and take a look…"

Leopold nodded before coming into the building, however, for the _third _time, he smacked right into something else. The boy groaned, "Why does this always happen?" he then ran back to Matthew and Lovino just in case the person would lash out just like Zook.

"Hey, careful there squirt!" exclaimed the figure. However, looking up, he immediately let loose a grin at seeing both Matthew and Lovino.

"Oh hell no…" Lovino mumbled.

Matthew meanwhile tilted his head as he tried to recall where he saw the figure before. He then snapped his fingers as he spoke up, "Oh, wait! Now, I remember! From Strenfürchtige City!"

"Kesesese! Well, if it isn't Birdie and Lovi-locks!"

* * *

_Obvious who this person is. XD but, anyway - Leopold is Kugelmugel just in case nobody understood who he was._

_No guessing questions on this one - simply because there really isn't one since it's far too obvious. Is the gym leader even there? What are you guys expecting? ^w^'_

_Not much to say, except I have my final exam on Tuesday, so the next one will be...in a still erratic moment since I have work, too. TT7TT_

_Well, thoughts and opinions? Thank you very much for reading, and have a nice day! :DDD_

_Sincerely,  
HetaWriter/HetaReader_


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